US Foreign Policy

Course Introduction

Michael Flynn

Professor

Department of Political Science

011C Calvin Hall

meflynn@ksu.edu

2025-08-22

Welcome!

Why this class matters:

  • International relations affects your day to day life in so many ways

  • Trade, migration, and investment

  • War and conflict

  • Global governance

Average effective tariff rate for the United States, 1790-2025. Courtesy of Yale Budget Lab. https://budgetlab.yale.edu/research/state-us-tariffs-july-28-2025

A Ukrainian soldier standing next to a destroyed tank.

Palestinians walk on a road lined with destroyed buildings in the Shujaiya neighborhood of Gaza City in October 2004. Photograph Omar Al-Wattaa/AFP/Getty Images

Picture of Moderna mRNA Covid vaccine.

A picture of 3M N95 face masks.

But also…

We want to start thinking about events in a different way

  • Accurate description

  • Causal relationships

  • Predictive relationships

But also…

We want to start thinking about events in a different way

  • Accurate description

  • Causal relationships

  • Predictive relationships

But also…

We want to start thinking about events in a different way

  • Accurate description

  • Causal relationships

  • Predictive relationships

  • Or complicated

But also…

We want to start thinking about events in a different way

  • Accurate description

  • Causal relationships

  • Predictive relationships

  • Or really complicated

Boilerplate Stuff

Details

Class info:

  • Class: US Foreign Policy

  • Me: Michael Flynn

  • Location: Calvin 116

  • Time: MWF 12:30-1:20

  • Office hours: By Appointment

  • Email! meflynn@ksu.edu

Contacting Me

  • The best way to contact me is email! (You can also schedule in-person appointments)

  • Please, email me!

  • Don’t wait!

  • If I don’t respond in 48 hours send me another!

  • That’s a lot of exclamation points!

Contacting Me

Some things to think about:

  • All correspondence should be professional in tone (I’m not your “bro”)

  • Please address emails to “Professor Flynn” (Or something similar)

  • All faculty and staff appreciate your efforts to be respectful and are much more likely to go the extra mile to help you out.

Stuff you need

Stuff You Need

The syllabus—Read it!

Class format is both lecture and discussion

Required readings:

  • There are multiple books and articles that we’ll be reading this semester.

  • You’ll need to access them through K-State Libraries website

Requirements

Grade Item Percent
Attendance 15%
Discussion 25%
Exams 30%
Crisis Simulation 30%

Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism

Things to know:

  • Don’t do it

  • Yes, we can tell

  • You will fail the assignment

    • Possible the whole course

      • Maybe suspension, too

  • See the syllabus for more information

  • Also see K-State’s student handbook online

Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism

On the use of AI and Chatbots:

  • Do not use AI or chatbots to complete assignments

  • The use of AI and chatbots constitutes plagiarism and will result in the failure on the assignment

  • Other reasons not to use AI and chatbots:

    • They are not accurate

    • They are not reliable

    • They are not consistent

Classroom Conduct

  1. Be Kind

  2. Please make sure your questions and comments pertain to course materials

  3. Be respectful of one another in your discussions

  4. Reach out if you need help, and reach out early

Big Picture Preview

Myths of US Foreign Policy

  1. The “national interest”

  2. Politics stops at the water’s edge

  3. Isolationism vs. internationalism

  4. “Grand strategy”

  5. US Foreign Policy less important pre-1945

  6. Institutions vying for power