Checking date: 27/04/2024


Course: 2024/2025

Geopolitics of the Americas
(17783)
Geopolitics and Strategic Studies (Plan: 387 - Estudio: 346)
EPC


Coordinating teacher: HIDALGO TRENADO, MANUEL

Department assigned to the subject: Social Sciences Department

Type: Electives
ECTS Credits: 6.0 ECTS

Course:
Semester:




Requirements (Subjects that are assumed to be known)
Introduction to Global Geopolitics; Methods and techniques of geopolitical and strategic analysis.
Objectives
- To understand and analyze the most important geopolitical and geostrategic elements and themes of the Americas. The most relevant specific learning outcomes of the subject include: - To interrelate and synoptically understand the different elements and geopolitical and geostrategic phenomena specific to the entire American continent. - To understand the main political, social, demographic, economic, and cultural trends that are transforming the Americas. - To apply theories and methodologies of regional analysis of a general or systematic nature to the understanding of the spaces and dynamics under study. - To situate and relate the geopolitical and geostrategic dynamics of the Americas with the global geopolitical architecture.
Skills and learning outcomes
Description of contents: programme
Topic 1. Introduction to the Americas: contemporary concept, historical evo-lution, and geopolitics. The two Americas: North America (Canada, USA and Mexico) and Latin America (Central America, Caribbean and Southern Cone). Topic 2. The geographic and territorial dimension of North America: implications of a regional and geopolitical nature. Topic 3. Domestic factors in North America: political system, economy, tech-nology, society, demography, culture. Topic 4. Trade, Investment, Migrations, Security and Integration in North America. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Topic 5. USA as a global superpower and of the Americas. Social, demographic, political and economic transformations of the United States under the Trump Administration. Topic 6. Projection and strategy of the USA for the two Americas. The external projection of Canada and Mexico in Central America, the Caribbean and the Southern Cone. Topic 7. Geopolitics and geostrategy of North America regarding external actors: the European Union, China and Russia. Topic 8. Contemporary Latin American political and geopolitical geography. Topic 9. Geopolitical Economy of Latin America. Topic 10. The organization of contemporary space in Latin America Topic 11. Space, power, movements and communities Topic 12. Brazil as a regional power Topic 13. Geopolitical conflicts in Latin America Topic 14. Role of external actors in Latin America. Latin America in the world order. Perspectives in the Americas.
Learning activities and methodology
The subject combines theoretical and practical aspects. The lecture sessions present the essential theoretical aspects of the course, while the practical activities will focus on the discussion of selected materials, the realization of exercises related to topics exposed by the professors, as well as individual or group presentations. In addition, the completion of a final work will allow students to apply the theoretical-methodological content of the subject to the analysis of specific geopolitical issues of the Americas. Tutorials will be carried out through the procedures established by the university.
Assessment System
  • % end-of-term-examination 0
  • % of continuous assessment (assigments, laboratory, practicals...) 100

Calendar of Continuous assessment


Basic Bibliography
  • Roy, J. (ed.). ¿A New Atlantic Community: The European Union, the US and Latin America¿. Miami-Florida European Union Center, Jean Monnet Chair. 2015.
  • Barton, J. R. . A Political Geography of Latin America. Routledge. 1997.
  • Bremmer, I. . Superpower: Three Choices for America's Role in the World. Penguin. 2015.
  • Brzezinski, Z. . The Grand Chessboard: American Primacy and Its Geostrategic Imperatives. Barnes & Noble. 1997.
  • Cohen, S. B. . Geopolitics. The Geography of International Relations. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Inc.. 2015.
  • Friedman, G. . The Next 100 Years: A Forecast of the 21st Century. Random House . 2010.
  • Horwitz, B. y Bagley, B. M. . Latin America and the Caribbean in the Global Context. Routledge. 2016.
  • Jaskoki, M., Sotomayor, A. C. y Trinkunas, H. A. . American Crossings: Border Politics in the Western Hemisphere. Johns Hopkins University Press. 2015.
  • Kelly, P. . Checherboards and Shatterbelts: The Geopolitics of South America. University of Texas-Austin. 1997.
  • Kent, R. . Latin America Regions and Peoples, 2ª ed. . Gilford. 2016.
  • Mares, D. R. y Kacowicz, A.M. (eds.). Routledge Handbook of Latin American Security. Routledge. 2016.
  • Munch, G y Luna, J.P. . Latin American Politics and Society . Cambridge University Press. 2022
  • Musset, A. y Piboubes, J. Y. (eds.). Géopolitiques des Amériques. Nathan. 2017.
  • The White House. National Security Strategy of the United States of America. The White House. 2022.
Additional Bibliography
  • Kerry, J. . "Remarks on U.S. Policy in the Western Hemisphere". US Department of State. 2013.
  • Russell Mead, W. . The Jacksonian Revolt; American Populism and the Liberal Order. Foreign Affairs, 96. 2017.
  • Smith, P. y Sells, C. . Democracy in Latin America, 3ª ed. . Oxford University Press. 2016.

The course syllabus may change due academic events or other reasons.