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udging by institutional capabilities, modern conservative state-building is the most ambitious project ever undertaken by the American government, or perhaps any government in history. This seminar-style course will trace the emergence and unique features of this American Leviathan, encompassing the institutions dedicated to enforcement and national security as well as conservative visions of social policy. Across these different domains, we will look at how and why these programs and agencies manage to claim resources and attract unrivaled political support. From metaphorical wars waged against drugs or crime to a military-industrial complex unprecedented in its scale, we will look for patterns of conservative state-building in the presentation of mission, leadership style, and operation. Drawing on literatures and relying on insights from the disciplines of history and political science, this seminar will encourage and employ a broad analytical skill set in order to critique, and to better understand, the remarkable record amassed by the Leviathan of 20th century conservative state-building.