Democratization, Nation Building, and U.S. Foreign Policy

My IWP

This course will explore some major challenges that follow regime change, in particular promoting a strong civil society and democratic governance, especially in light of extremist developments emerging in many Islamic societies.

The major themes of this course include: defining "civil society" in historical and comparative terms; civil society and the rise of the modern nation-state; the relationship between culture, religion and government; what is "civil society building" and how is it conducted in practice.

"Democratization, sometimes known as 'nation-building' and, most recently, as 'stability and reconstruction,' has played an increasingly central role in U.S. foreign policy. But neither the strategic objectives nor the tactics have been properly thought out in every instance, despite the heavy investment by the U.S. and its allies, and high stakes for world peace."
-Dr. Juliana Pilon

Required Texts

Civil Society: Theory, History, Comparison, John Hall
Globalization, Power, and Democracy, Marc Plattner & Aleksander Smolar
Funding Virtue: Civil Society Aid and Democracy Promotion, Marina Ottaway & Thomas Carothers

Semester Available

Summer Semester

Part of

Introductory Courses (Required)

Specialization in Democracy Building (Required)

Specialization in Comparative Political Culture

Electives

Special Note

Formerly titled "Civil Society Building"

Principal Professor

Juliana Geran Pilon

Director, Center for the Study of Culture and Security; Professor of Politics and Culture {read more}

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FEATURED FACULTY

John J. Tierney, Jr.

Walter Kohler Professor of International Relations; Former Special Assistant and Foreign Affairs Officer, U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency

U.S. National Security Strategy and Emerging Threats

This course reviews the principles and processes of U.S. national security planning, examines the arms control approaches of recent administrations, analyzes the current global security environment, and proposes new arms control and defense approaches for the new century.