### Title: Navigating US Foreign Policy Trends: Analytical Approaches and Predictive Frameworks
**Synopsis:**
In today’s session, we delved into the foundational components of US foreign policy analysis, emphasizing the identification, analysis, and prediction of US foreign policy trends through comprehensive research methodologies. The course aimed to prepare students for their upcoming capstone projects and presentations by reinforcing their analytical skills and understanding of historical and contemporary foreign policy dynamics.
### Attendance:
– No students were specifically mentioned as absent in the transcript.
### Topics Covered:
1. **Introduction and Course Overview**
– Recap of previous assignments; commendation on the quality of submitted papers.
– Outline of the remaining weeks and the main objectives, focusing on the capstone project.
2. **Capstone Project: Policy Trend Analysis Paper**
– Detailed breakdown of the capstone paper requirements:
– Selection of a US foreign policy trend.
– Analytical framework incorporating international relations theories.
– Historical background, current implications, and future predictions.
– Assignment structure, submission guidelines, and grading criteria.
3. **Presentation Preparation Guidance**
– Explanation of the presentation requirements parallel to the capstone paper.
– Introduction to multimedia presentation formats:
– Video essays or narratives.
– Infographics series.
– Simulated policy briefings.
– Technical tips and creative suggestions for effective presentations.
4. **Research and Resource Utilization**
– Emphasis on utilizing primary, secondary, and tertiary sources.
– Engaging with policy statements, strategic documents, and impact assessments.
– Interactive brainstorming session for identifying and discussing potential foreign policy trends based on predefined criteria (duration, consistency, and impact).
5. **Discussion on Future Classes**
– Upcoming sessions dedicated to fleshing out the capstone project.
– Plans to illustrate basic video editing techniques and tool recommendations for students.
### Actionable Items:
– **Preparation for Upcoming Presentations:**
– Students need to decide on their chosen US foreign policy trend by the next class.
– Begin preparing presentations, ensuring alignment with the capstone paper structure.
– **Research Enhancement:**
– Students are encouraged to start gathering primary sources and official documents to support their analysis.
– Utilize next class to gain clarity on video editing tools and techniques.
– **Feedback and Continual Improvement:**
– The instructor may need to provide additional resources or sessions on research methodologies specific to international relations and foreign policy analysis.
### Homework:
– **Capstone Paper and Presentation Preparation:**
– Select a foreign policy trend to analyze.
– Begin drafting the outline for both the paper and the presentation.
– Prepare for a detailed class on video editing techniques in the next session.
– **Research Task:**
– Gather at least three primary sources related to the chosen foreign policy trend before the next class.