Sources of American Political Thought | The Institute of World Politics

American foreign policy rests in part on the character of America. The American political order is a particular expression of Western political thought. Thus, an understanding of what fuels American foreign policy is in part dependent on a solid understanding of Western political thought: ancient, medieval, and modern. The course emphasizes the way in which the American political order and its philosophic foundations affect U.S. foreign policymaking. Particular attention will be given to the Federalist and the writings and speeches of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln and other American statesmen of renown.