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WiSe 13/14: Implications of Arab Spring for U.S. Foreign Policy

Hooshang Nayebi

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The post-2010 civil uprisings in the Middle Eastern and North African countries known as Arab Spring introduced People as a third force that attempted to change the status quo against the interests of the ruling elites. Authoritarianism, kleptocracy, economic malaise, political corruption, threat to human dignity, human rights violations, and lack of justice and freedom were among the core issues that generated popular revolt against the Arab rulers in the region and posed security challenges for the US government as a global power that advocates a status quo policy in the Middle East for political, economic, and strategic reasons. This course attempts to study the political reaction of U.S. government to the developments in the Arab world within the framework of a political analysis and investigates the implications of Arab spring for U.S. policy in the region. The multimedia learning methods applied in this course include article reviews, round-tables, e-mentoring, films and other types of scientific methods applicable and meaningful to the subject matters in the course. The students will be meeting with representatives of some governments involved in Arab Spring as a means to bridge the gap between real politics on the ground and the academic approaches that analyze political events. Course Requirements 1. Regular Attendance and active participation 2. Short Research paper, 15-25 pages (only for Leistungsschein) 3. Presentation: 5-15 minutes Course Literature: The literature will be accessible through blackboard: The students should read and prepare the texts before each session. close