(Undergraduates enroll for 5 units; graduate students for 3-5 units.) Thirty years ago, the Cold War ended. Today, great power competition is back, with many analysts describing our current era as a "New Cold War" among the United States, China, and Russia. How did we go from the euphoria surrounding democracy, globalization, and the West three decades ago to the current uncertainty about democracy and the liberal international order and the rise of illiberal great powers? Is the Cold War label an illuminating or distorting analogy, and how stable or enduring is this current moment of global confrontation? The course seeks to answer these questions and analyze contemporary great power relations more broadly. We will (1) review major theories that explain relations between great powers; (2) trace the historical origins of the U.S.-Russia and U.S.-China relationships; (3) assess the similarities and differences between the Cold War and U.S.-Russia and U.S.-China relations today along three dimensions - power, ideology, and interdependence and multilateralism - and (4) discuss unilateral, bilateral, and multilateral policy prescriptions for how U.S. leaders can meet the challenge of great power competition in the 21st century. The main text for this course will be McFaul's new book, Autocrats vs. Democrats(provided electronically), along with accompanying academic articles. Assignments include one short position paper/presentation and a final paper. To apply for this course, please fill out this form (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeAPY69BApzd4tGXOyeh5ZYdYe_Vtj79HjAM_gsMIuK5dRWtw/viewform?usp=header) by March REES 20, 2026, REES 11:REES 59 pm at the latest. Decisions will be announced on March REES 27, 2026. Every applicant will be notified.
3-5 units · Letter or Credit/No Credit
(Undergraduates enroll for 5 units; graduate students for 3-5 units.) Thirty years ago, the Cold War ended. Today, great power competition is back, with many analysts describing our current era as a "New Cold War" among the United States, China, and Russia. How did we go from the euphoria surrounding democracy, globalization, and the West three decades ago to the current uncertainty about democracy and the liberal international order and the rise of illiberal great powers? Is the Cold War label an illuminating or distorting analogy, and how stable or enduring is this current moment of global confrontation? The course seeks to answer these questions and analyze contemporary great power relations more broadly. We will (1) review major theories that explain relations between great powers; (2) trace the historical origins of the U.S.-Russia and U.S.-China relationships; (3) assess the similarities and differences between the Cold War and U.S.-Russia and U.S.-China relations today along three dimensions - power, ideology, and interdependence and multilateralism - and (4) discuss unilateral, bilateral, and multilateral policy prescriptions for how U.S. leaders can meet the challenge of great power competition in the 21st century. The main text for this course will be McFaul's new book, Autocrats vs. Democrats(provided electronically), along with accompanying academic articles. Assignments include one short position paper/presentation and a final paper. To apply for this course, please fill out this form (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeAPY69BApzd4tGXOyeh5ZYdYe_Vtj79HjAM_gsMIuK5dRWtw/viewform?usp=header) by March 20, 2026, 11:59 pm at the latest. Decisions will be announced on March 27, 2026. Every applicant will be notified.
Offered in Spring 2026 at Stanford University.