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This course examines the growth and development of the American state’s coercive institutions, namely, the military and police. We will explore the ways in which the American state makes war, fights crime, and polices the boundaries of citizenship. While we tend to approach these topics from the perspective of international relations, law, or political philosophy, this course focuses on American politics and institutions. How did the United States secure control over a transcontinental territory in the absence of a large standing army? Why did the federal government try to criminalize vices, and how were these statutes enforced? How did violence influence the development of the American state, and to what extent do these historical processes explain warfare and law enforcement today?