Public Diplomacy and Political Warfare
This course examines the history, theories, and methodologies of public diplomacy and political warfare through the 20th Century, and especially during the Cold War, with an eye toward applying lessons to the development of 21st Century public diplomacy and political warfare strategies. The course emphasizes psychological strategy, in which US policies should be calculated to achieve a desired psychological effect. The objective of the course is to help prepare the student to integrate public diplomacy and political warfare with other tools - traditional diplomacy, foreign aid, intelligence collection and covert operations, and military and economic foreign policy - and to condition the student to approach the issue with confidence.
Further course details, including the list of assigned books, are contained in the course website: publicdiplomacyonline.com.
Semester Available
Spring Semester
Part of
Specialization in Public Diplomacy and Political Warfare (Required) Electives (select two) Choose Three of the Following Courses Introductory Courses (Required) Specialization in American Foreign Policy Choose Two of the Following Courses Electives (select one)Related Courses
The Art of Diplomacy Counterintelligence in a Democratic Society Ideas and Values in International Politics Intelligence and Policy Mass Media and World Politics Information Operations and Information Warfare Political Warfare: Past, Present and Future
Special Note
Registration for this course requires the approval of the professor.
Principal Professor
J. Michael Waller 
