Virtual Seminars
The virtual seminar on the "Evolution of the International Order" provides AHS officers with a historical perspective on contemporary international affairs as well as an appreciation of what American leadership has achieved. Part I runs during the fall semester and through 5 sessions examines the major historical ideas and events — the Peace of Westphalia; Congress of Vienna; and the Treaty of Versailles — out of which today's international order was born. The sessions revolve around one of foreign policy’s classic works: Diplomacy by Henry Kissinger. The first session is the notable exception: it draws on Thinking in Time by Ernest May and Richard Neustadt to underscore history’s use and misuse by decision-makers.
Part II runs during the spring semester and building on Robert Zoellick’s America in the World examines the ideas and people behind American statecraft and diplomacy. Admitted students receive complimentary copies of Thinking in Time, Diplomacy, and American in the World.
Statesmanship: Ancient and Modern
This seminar explores the art of political rule — both what it is, and what studying it entails — as well as classical political order, and the essential connection of these concepts to the foundation of the American republic.
The seminar runs during the spring semester, and over the course of five sessions, considers the classical origins of statecraft as a concept, as well as their connections to the American republic. Discussions will draw on several sources including Alexis de Tocqueville to connect this virtuous image with specific examples as well as discuss how different political orders and contexts (in particular, Western democracy) shape the task of leadership. Admitted students receive complimentary copies of Alexis de Tocqueville's classic work Democracy in America.