Chinese Grand Strategy – PLCY 869

Course Description

The doctoral course evaluates leading scholarly interpretations of how China has defined and sought to achieve its national interests over the long-term. Central to this examination is a consideration of threats to China’s national interests, and the means (political, military, diplomatic, and economic) China has used to address threats through imperial, Republican, and Communist periods. Similarities and differences across Chinese grand strategies are of particular focus in this class. The goal of this examination is to develop and hone of the abilities of doctoral students to discern how both unit level and systemic factors influence Chinese grand strategy.

Rationale

PLCY 869 provides a detailed understanding of how China has defined its interest, the threats to those interests, and the means employed to address the threats it faces.  Comprehending Chinese strategic interests and how the Chinese Communist Party perceives threats to its rule, and the means employed to attack its enemies are of paramount importance to U.S. academics, policy-makers, and the analytical community. 

Course Assignment

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

Course Requirements Checklist

Discussions (5)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to provide a thread in response to the provided topic for each discussion. Each thread must be 400–500 words in length and demonstrate course-related knowledge. In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to 2 other classmates’ threads. Each reply must be original and unique and should be 200–350 words. 

Research Paper Assignments (3)

Research Paper: Memorandum Assignment

The student will compose a memorandum describing the central research question, research objectives, an original argument, and the academic contribution the paper will make, along with an outline for the paper. The reader should walk away with a clear sense of the scholarly significance of the proposed project, along with the specific arguments and scholars the paper will converse with. This memo must be one page or less in length, single-spaced.

Research Paper: Mini-Proposal Assignment

The student will compose an eight-to-nine-page proposal (For master’s level, six-to-seven pages) which clearly states the research question, research objectives, describes the central argument. An abbreviated literature review should comprise at least half of the body of the paper and illustrate how the research project will further academic knowledge on the project’s theme of focus. Building out of the literature review, the proposal must also lay out a feasible, social science-based plan for carrying out the research and building the central argument, a plan which specifies data sources, methods and clearly identifies anticipated challenges associated with project completion. The student should use peer-reviewed work to justify his/her research design choices and must convincingly demonstrate that his/her proposed research design is appropriate for the study of his/her own research question. Although it is assumed that final research projects for the course will generate policy prescriptions/recommendations, the focus of this assignment is on laying the foundation needed to complete the research itself.

Research Paper: Final Assignment

The student will compose a 25-to-30-page (For master’s level, 20-to-25 pages) (excluding title page and bibliography) research paper, based upon the mini-proposal. Policy implications should be offered toward the end of the paper, based upon the student’s research findings and conclusions. Feedback from the proposal must be incorporated into the final project.