This module considers how the end of the Cold War and the ‘bipolar world’ dominated by the US and the Soviet Union has affected American foreign policy, both before and after 9/11. The course examines the foreign policies of successive Presidents in the Post-Cold War era from George H Bush to Joe Biden before focusing on US foreign policy in the main geopolitical regions of Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, the Indo-Pacific, and Africa, including US ‘special relationships’ with states such as the United Kingdom, Israel and Japan. Key themes include continued tensions between the US and Russia since the end of the Cold War and the rise of China as a global economic power.

In week 1 the module provides a brief review of the reasons for the end of the Cold War, 1979-89, with reference to some of the major IR theories such as Realism, Marxism, Constructivism and Liberal Internationalism.  Attention is also paid to the notion of Presidential doctrines, including the Truman Doctrine of 1947, the Carter Doctrine of 1979 and the Reagan Doctrine of 1985, and their role in the study of US foreign policy in the Post-Cold War era. 

This introduction is followed by an analysis of the foreign policies of each of the six Post-Cold War presidents, from Bush 41 to Biden, especially in relation to the expansion of NATO and deteriorating relations with Russia. The presidency of George H Bush is first examined and the concept of a New World Order following the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the formation of a ‘Coalition of the Willing’ to take part in the Gulf War against Saddam Hussein is discussed. Bill Clinton’s foreign policy and the notion of ‘democratic enlargement’ that accompanied NATO expansion in the 1990s are then analysed. In week 4 we focus on the presidency of George W Bush, 9/11, the Bush Doctrine, the ‘War on Terror’ and its impact on Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. In week 5 we discuss the foreign policies of Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden, especially in relation to the war in Afghanistan and the US withdrawal in 2021, with reference to the notion of ‘American decline’.

The second half of the module focuses on issues arising in each of the five major geo-political regions in US foreign policy strategy since the end of the Cold War. These include US policy towards Britain and Europe and the notion of an ‘Anglo-American ‘special relationship’; the legacy of the Monroe Doctrine and US relations with Cuba and the rest of the Americas; the US relationship with Israel and the quest for a Middle East peace settlement involving the Palestinians and the Arab states; US relations with China and the concept of an American pivot towards the Asia-Pacific in the 21st century; and finally, US policy towards Africa since the end of the Cold War with particular reference to the reasons for the relative neglect of the region until recently. The impact of the Biden presidency upon US policy towards each of these regions is one focus of the analysis and the future direction of US foreign policy is also discussed.