Examine role of individual leaders shaping American policy toward China, from Communist Rev to present. Follow important episodes&decisions & examine instances of "thought leadership," those outside gov successfully shaping the thinking/decisions of those inside it. Examine domestic & foreign factors shaping decisions. Identify personal experiences, skills &biases brought by leaders. Leaders include:Marshall,Truman,Kissinger&Nixon,Paulson,&Obama

Within a few years of the Tiananmen Crisis of 1989, US & Chinese leaders launched efforts to build a more stable & cooperative relationship. By the 2016 American presidential election there was a growing consensus in the US that many strategies had failed. What went wrong? Was American China policy based on faulty assumptions? Was it poorly implemented? This course examines the causes of foreign policy failure, using the case of American policy towards China.

Investigates a selected issue in public policy or leadership.