Does Google Need a Foreign Policy? Private Corporations & International Security in the Digital Age

Facebook has more users than any nation has citizens. Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks more often with Chinese President Xi Jinping than President Trump does. Google's revenues exceed the GDPs of more than half the world's countries. Cybersecurity companies produce weapons that once only foreign governments wielded. These and other technology companies are increasingly caught in the maw of global politics whether it's entering challenging new foreign markets, developing platforms that enable millions of people around the world to organize for both noble and nefarious aims, or developing products that can become tools of intelligence agencies worldwide for surveillance, counterintelligence, and information warfare. In several respects, tech companies wield more power than governments. We examine the changing role of corporations in international politics, the role of the state, and critical challenges that large technology companies face today in particular. We discuss contending perspectives about key issues with guest lectures by industry and US government leaders as well as simulations of foreign policy crises from the board room to the White House Situation Room. No background in political science or computer science is required. Admission based on application. Elements used in grading: Class participation, midterm policy memo, final policy memo, participate in final course simulation tech company summit. CONSENT APPLICATION: Admission based on application. Instructor consent required. Please send an application email to the teaching assistant, Taylor McLamb, at twj@stanford.edu, that includes: your major, an explanation why you want to take the course, and how your background fits with the subject matter (not to exceed three paragraphs). The application deadline is Friday, November 17 and notification of course acceptance will be sent on Thursday, November 30. International Policy Studies (IPS 245) and Public Policy (PUBLPOL 245).