Thursdays 10-12 Noon
March 27 through May 1, 2003
D.O.C. House
At the present time, the United States is the dominant state in the world, especially as measured by its military and economic power. No state can effectively challenge the United States, but there are also severe limitations on its capacity to use its power to meet its interests. American policy makers have to figure the diplomatic and human costs of using military power very carefully and America markets are sensitive to the uncertainties of the global economy. At the same time, the raw use of material power without regard to the interests of others can generate opposition to the United States and obscure the ideals of democracy and human rights that the United States represents. The study group will examine the dilemma that the United States thus faces in today's world and read a series of articles published in Foreign Affairs and other journals as background to discussion in the working sessions.
Class is limited to 20 participants.
Gene Lyons Professor Emeritus of Government and Senior Fellow of The Dickey Center for International Understanding at Dartmouth College. Co-editor and contributor to three recent volumes: Beyond Westphalia: State Sovereignty and International Intervention (1995); The United Nations System: The Policies of Member States (1995); and International Human Rights in the 21st Century: Protecting the Rights of Groups (2003).
