American Exceptionalism and US Foreign Policy

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American Exceptionalism and US Foreign Policy

• Unit Plan for ETAH
• By Kate Bloomfield
• Catherine Turso
• Andrea Yee

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Essential Question What role should the notion
of American exceptionalism take in shaping US
foreign policy?

• Focus Questions
• What is foreign policy? What shapes foreign
  policy?
• How do we define American exceptionalism?
  (review)
• What has shaped US foreign policy in the past?
  What role has American exceptionalism played?
• How does American exceptionalism shape US foreign
  policy today? What role should it play? (To what
  extent does the belief in American exceptionalism
  obligate the US to intervene in world affairs?)

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Student Outcomes

• CONTENT
• Washingtons Farewell Address
• Monroe Doctrine
• Manifest Destiny (FP towards Native
  Americans/Mexican-American War)
• Open Door Policy
• Spanish American War
• WWI
• Case Study Iraq
• American Exceptionalism and other factors that
  shape US Foreign Policy

• SKILLS
• Critical thinking
• Concise writing skills
• Analyzing content through a particular lens
• Persuasive speech

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Unit Evaluation

• Students will create a foreign policy statement
  for the US in Iraq guided by their views of the
  role of America in the world and their knowledge
  of the situation in Iraq and the history of US
  Foreign Policy.
• Adapted from Iraq The Challenge of Securing the
  Peace from Choices for the 21st Century
  Education Program, Watson Institute for
  International Studies, Brown University

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Project Description

• Premise
• An important debate is taking place in the United
  States and abroad about how to handle the
  situation in Iraq, who should be involved, and
  what this may mean for the larger question of
  America's role in the world today. President
  Bush needs a fresh perspective on the
  reconstruction of Iraq. He has hired you to
  create a new vision for US foreign policy for
  Iraq.

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Project Goals

• Demonstrate understanding of foreign policy and
  the role of American exceptionalism in shaping
  foreign policy.
• Determine own views on U.S. foreign policy and
  the role exceptionalism should play in shaping
  USFP.
• Apply their knowledge / views by creating their
  own foreign policy recommendation for Iraq

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Project Process

• Explore the 4 Choices policy statements read
  and analyze (handouts).
• Do additional research on the current situation
  US policies in Iraq.
• Create your own 1-2 page policy recommendation
  for Iraq (5th Choice) using the 4 Choices as a
  model.
• Use your knowledge of the current situation in
  Iraq, and past U.S. foreign policy to justify
  your recommendations.
• Your foreign policy recommendation should clearly
  reflect your view on the US role in the world,
  and the role US exceptionalism should play in our
  current foreign policy.

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Culminating Activity

• In a briefing with President Bush, students
  will then take part in a whole class discussion
  where students will present their views and
  discuss the merits and drawbacks of each
  proposal.

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Unit Resources

• Washingtons Farewell Address
• http//earlyamerica.com/earlyamerica/milestones/fa
  rewell/text.html
• ? Has the full text of Washingtons Farewell
  Address. The site also has a photograph of the
  speech written in the Independent Chronicle,
  1796.
• Monroe Doctrine
• http//usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/facts/democrac
  /50.htm
• ? Provides a good introduction to the Monroe
  Doctrine as well as a useful excerpt for class
  use.
• Manifest Destiny (Native American policy)
• 1) http//www.answers.com/topic/manifest-destiny
• ? Gives a general introduction to Manifest
  Destiny as well as the philosophical
  underpinnings of the policy.
• ? Includes links to other important related
  policy terms and definitions.

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Resources Cont

• Open Door Policy
• 1) http//www.pinzler.com/ushistory/opendoorsupp.h
  tml
• ? Includes an excerpt from the Open Door notes
  (1899-1900) which is a useful primary resource to
  spark discussion in class.
• Spanish-American War
• 1) http//www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/1898/
• ? Provides detailed information on individuals
  involved in the Spanish-American War as well as
  background information.
• 2) http//www.pbs.org/crucible/
• ? Provides background information for the PBS
  film, The Crucible. It also has links to
  resources, yellow journalism, and even1890s
  music.
• World War I

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Additional Materials

• Resources Handout
• 2) Unit plan and project handouts- Will be
  available electronically from David Glasner