This document outlines the lecture topics for a political science course on Western political thought, including: cultural conflicts replacing Cold War ideological rivalries; causes of war such as nationalism and religion; states allying based on shared culture ("kin-country" syndrome); challenges to Western dominance from non-Western civilizations; and the influence of public opinion and legislatures on foreign policy making in democratic systems.

1. West Coast American Leadership Academy
Political Science 5 – Western Political Thought
Spring 2016 / Fall 2016 – Power Point 9

2. 1. Cultural Conflict: The New Cold War?
2. Conflict, Violence, And War
3. Causes Of War
4. “Kin-Country” Syndrome
5. Redefining Civilization Identity
6. West Vs. The Rest
7. American Military Power
8. Making Foreign Policy
9. Public Influences Policy
10.Legislatures
Course Lecture Topics

3. Cultural Conflict:
The New Cold War?
• Tensions between civilizations are supplanting the political
and ideological rivalries persistent during the Cold War.
• Samuel Huntington argue, "the values that are most
important in the West are least important worldwide.”
• World politics will be directed in the future by conflicts that
according to Kishore Mahbubani will be between "the West
and the Rest."
• Samuel P. Huntington adds ."..and the responses of non-
Western civilizations to Western power and values.”

4. Conflict, Violence, And War
• Non-Western civilizations isolate themselves from
the Western-dominated global community.
• "Band-Wagoning" can lead non-Western countries
to join with the West and accept its values and
institutions.
• Non-Western countries can attempt to "balance"
the West by developing an alternative economic
and military power and ally with one another to
effective counter Western dominance.

5. Causes Of War
• Nationalism
• Ethnicity
• Religion
• Culture
• Natural Resources

6. “Kin-Country” Syndrome
• States try to rally support from states
that share a similar culture.
• Replaces political ideology and
traditional balance of power as the
principal basis for cooperation and
coalitions.

7. Redefining Civilization Identity
Samuel Huntington’s Three Requirements For Torn
Countries To Redefine Its Civilization Identity:
• The Country’s economic and political elites have to
enthusiastically endorse the transition.
• Its public has to endorse whatever new definition is
adopted.
• Dominant groups in the recipient civilization have
to embrace the convert.

8. West Vs. The Rest
• Samuel P. Huntington stresses that civilization-
consciousness is increasing and that global politics will
be focused on "the West and the Rest."
• This applies to conflicts between the Western powers,
especially the United States, against "others.“
• The first conflict(s) will be between the West and
several Islamic-Confucian states.
• Samuel Huntington made these arguments in the
article “The Clash of Civilizations (1993).”

9. American Military Power
• The main reasons for the US to maintain
such a high military expenditure are:
 US commitments on a global basis. US military
forces must be able to project power to regions
located thousands of miles away.
 US forces require high technology in order to
defeat its enemies with limited casualties.
 US maintains a much more expensive all-
volunteer force.

10. • Foreign policies are the strategies
governments use to guide their actions in
the international arena.
 Spell out the objectives state leaders
have decided to pursue in a given
relationship or situation.
 Foreign policy process: How policies
are arrived at and implemented.
Making Foreign Policy (1)

11. • Comparative foreign policy.
 Study of foreign policy in various states
in order to discover whether similar
types of societies or governments
consistently have similar types of foreign
policies.
• Foreign policy outcomes result from
multiple forces at various levels of
analysis.
Making Foreign Policy (2)

12. • Range of views on foreign policy issues
held by the citizens of a state.
• Has a greater influence on foreign policy in
democracies than in authoritarian
governments.
 Legitimacy
 Propaganda
 Journalists as gatekeepers
Public Influences Policy (1)

13. • In democracies, public opinion generally
has less effect on foreign policy than on
domestic policy.
 Attentive public
 Foreign policy elite
 Rally ’round the flag syndrome
 Diversionary foreign policy
Public Influences Policy (2)

14. • Conduit through which interest groups and
public opinion can wield influence.
 Presidential systems; separate elections.
Legislatures play a direct role in making
foreign policy.
Different rules apply, however, to the use
of military force.
–Rally ’round the flag.
–May challenge the president if they have
power of the “purse.”
Legislatures (1)

15. • Parliamentary systems; political parties are
dominant
 Often parliamentary executives do not need
to submit treaties or policies for formal
approval by the legislature.
 Call elections; new executive
 Legislatures play a key role in designing
and implementing foreign policy.
Legislatures (2)