Infrastructure In Foreign Policy
Since the rise of polities, powerful political entities have maintained their relationships with weaker allies and partners by providing or withholding gifts. In modern times, powerful nation states continue this in their practice of statecraft by deploying a range of instruments – economic, military, and social – in pursuit of national interests. This course is designed to introduce students to infrastructure financing, construction and ownership as one such tool in the practice of foreign policy. It will explore the intentions and motivations of both providing and receiving countries. We will examine the interaction of these dynamics within the constraints of the norms and institutions of the international system. The course will serve as a foundation for students who intend to pursue careers in international development and foreign policy. It will provide the tools to understand state-led programs like China’s Belt and Road Initiative and the Marshall Plan.