GOVT 50.18 Foreign Policies of Middle Eastern States
This course analyzes the foreign policies of Middle Eastern states. It begins with an examination of the frameworks of foreign policy analysis. Then, it analyzes the foreign policy making of eleven different states; Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, (what used to be known as) Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates. In each of these cases, we look into the role of various actors involved in formulating foreign policy as well as the constraints and opportunities they face – internally and externally. We will examine how the interaction between these various actors, the definition they give to their constraining/enabling structures, contribute to defining the foreign policy behavior of the state in reference. We will also see how the combination of these foreign policies, especially their regional dimension, led the Middle East into the chaos it suffers from now. Given the rapid pace of change in the Middle East, we will combine recent texts and older ones, in order to familiarize ourselves with both the “baseline” of foreign policymaking in the Middle East and its most recent manifestations. We will also read shorter updates, mainly from media sources, as we progress in the course.
Instructor
Fishere