What actual or potential threats or impediments stand in the way of the achievement of these goals? What opportunities exist?

You will be asked to select one important country and to describe and explain Iran’s course of action in international affairs. Students must write a one page annotated bibliography in preparation. The purpose of your paper is to describe, explain and perhaps predict the foreign policy of a major country. In others, to provide insightful, accurate and convincing answers to these questions: 1) What is the country’s policy? 2) What has this course (and not alternative policies) been pursued? 3) Will the current policy continue or is change possible or likely? If so, how will the policy change and why? Papers are to be submitted in both written and electronic form. The procedures for the latter will be explained in class.
Key questions regarding description:
• What are the country’s objectives? What do they want? How much do they want?
• What actual or potential threats or impediments stand in the way of the achievement of these goals? What opportunities exist?
• What methods or instruments have been utilized to deal with existing or potential problems?
• What relationships have been sought and achieved with other major powers and selected smaller countries?
Key questions regarding explanation:
• International level—How much and what sort of power does the country possess?
• Domestic level—Consider
o Culture, especially as influenced by collective memory (How do the country’s elites and public view their own history? With what consequences?)
o Regime (What does the regime value? How does the government attempt to legitimize its authority and with what success?)
o Institutions
• Individual level—apply theories from the lectures, as applicable
Key question regarding prediction:
• Will any of the influences or conditions discussed in the previous categories change in the future? With what effects?