IPM7230 - THE 'VIETNAM SYNDROME' AND AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY

Module Identifier

IPM7230

Module Title

THE 'VIETNAM SYNDROME' AND AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY

Academic Year

2006/2007

Co-ordinator

Dr Andrew J Priest

Semester

Semester 2

Course delivery

Seminars / Tutorials

10 x 2 HR Seminars

Assessment

Assessment Type	Assessment Length/Details	Proportion
Semester Exam	3 Hours	60%
Semester Assessment	1 x 3,000 Word Essay	40%

Learning outcomes

On completion of this module students should be able to:

Discuss the meaning of the 'Vietnam Syndrome' and analyse it's origins
Define the central arguments concerning American failure in Vietnam and the effect this failure has had on US culture, society and politics, particularly foreign policy
Discuss the historical development of the 'Vietnam Syndrome' since c. 1975
Critically assess the enormous impact of the Vietnam War on American foreign policymakers
Demonstrate, through written work and in seminars, an ability to apply this framework of analysis to the concept of US foreign intervention and non-intervention in the post- Vietnam environment
Demonstrate an understanding of how policymakers and those in the media use the Vietnam War to appeal to the domestic audience within the United States.

Brief description

This module will provide students with a framework in which to view post-1975 US foreign policymaking and particularly intervention by analysing the effect the Vietnam War has had on American politics.

Content

Understanding the 'Vietnam Syndrome' - debates and discourses
The end of the Vietnam War and it's impact on American culture, politics and society
Intervention under Reagan
Cold War and post-Cold War intervention case studies
11 September 2001 and the 2003 Iraq War - The End of the Vietnam Syndrome?

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 7