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Cornell University

Cornell Brooks Public Policy

Spring 2026 Electives

American Defense Policy & Military History from the World Wars to the Global War on Terror

America has fought two wars in the 21st century, in Iraq and Afghanistan. They have been the longest wars in American history and have ended badly, amid much ambivalence about the defense policies that created them. Those wars and policies are part of the long history of the war that America has fought as a global power and the policies that shaped those wars and shaped that global power. This course will look at US defense policies and military experience over the long 20th century, from the earth-spanning conflicts of WorldWar I and II, to the nuclear tension of Cold War conflicts, and finally to the global war on terror.

Constitutional Law

In this course, we will examine one of the most important documents in American history – our Constitution.  Course topics will include the historical background of the document from the Magna Carta to the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation.  We will look at the creation of the Constitution, including the conflict between strong supporters of this proposed new Constitution (Federalists) and their opponents (Anti-Federalists). How did the Founders resolve their differences and what led the States to adopt a document limiting and balancing the powers of the President, Congress, and the Judiciary? We shall look at the constant tension (from the beginning to the present) over the balance of power between the three co-equal branches.  We shall discuss the role of the Constitution from both empirical and theoretical perspectives and look at how it has evolved from 1788 to the present day. Special attention will be paid to the use of Amendments, particularly the Bill of Rights, to address events/circumstances unforeseen by the drafters.  Finally, the course will discuss critical cases where the Supreme Court defined and redefined what the Constitution meant.

U.S. Foreign Policy and Economic Statecraft

  • 4 credits
  • PUBPOL 3025
  • Jana Nelson
  • Syllabus
  • Monday 6:30pm – 9:50pm

The world has changed, and the collective global policy goals of the 2000s are no longer at the forefront of international affairs. Increasingly, economic tools–both carrots and sticks–are a core tool of the U.S. Foreign Policy toolbox. The sticks, or coercive tools, such as sanctions, tariffs, and export controls, garner more public attention, but tools of positive reinforcement are equally relevant. This course will explore the historical and geopolitical context within which U.S. Foreign Policy is shifting toward weaponizing economic interdependence — competition with the People’s Republic of China, the war in Ukraine, and organized crime in the Western Hemisphere. It will also explore the question of how a new generation of national security professionals can navigate a world and a professional space that is increasingly moving away from the pro-globalization consensus of the 2000s.