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Midterm – The United States & the World in the 21st Century
Answer two of the following questions in essays of 4 double-spaced pages each. Also write a brief – no more than one paragraph – summary of the main argument for an answer to a third question. The one-paragraph essay is required, but it will not be graded.
The overall length of your exam – both essays and the summary – should not exceed 10 pages (exclusive of notes and references). In your exam, focus on developing your arguments and supporting them with evidence from lectures, readings, and class discussions. Avoid long summaries of material that you have heard and read. Exams are due by email or as hard copies to your section instructor by 6pm EST on Friday March 21.
1. Views of the world, identities, political values, art, and religion are some of the elements of what we call ‘culture’. We have discussed and read about the worldwide influence of ‘American culture’. Where does American cultural influence come from and what sustains it? Choose two aspects of “American culture” (political values, laws, social norms, world views, cultural activities and products) – one that you regard as mainly attractive and one that you see as mixed or negative. Explain the origins and persistence of the international influence of these cultural forms.
2. In his 2014 State of the Union Address, Obama noted: “My fellow Americans, no other country in the world does what we do. On every issue, the world turns to us, not simply because of the size of our economy or our military might – but because of the ideals we stand for, and the burdens we bear to advance them.” Discuss how ideas about the distinctive character and role of the United States have unfolded historically and how they influence foreign policy action taken by the U.S. in one major episode in the last 15 years.
3. Several readings and lectures argued that countries generally want power. Is that true? Why? In the last
two decades in the United States, how would you define the main relations among military, economic, and political power?
two decades in the United States, how would you define the main relations among military, economic, and political power?
4. Theories of international relations, including Robert Putnam’s analysis of two-level games, should help in explaining major events and nonevents in a country’s foreign policy. This is so even if international relations theories are continually surprised by major international events (the end of the Cold War, 9-11, the Arab Spring, and more.) Take one of the following developments (a, b, or c) and make a case for the ability of one theory to shed some light on it:
a. The US is one of very few countries, which has not ratified CEDAW (Convention to Elimination All Forms of Discrimination Against Women). Though the Clinton administration pushed for the treaty to be considered for full vote in the Senate, until this date, CEDAW has remained in the Senate of Foreign Relations Committee. Explain why the US has not taken the appropriate steps to ratify the treaty,
b. While the U.S. was willing and able to lead a military intervention aimed at bringing down the Libyan regime, President Obama has resisted any large-scale and direct military action against the Assad regime in Syria. Why?
c. Although NAFTA and similar free-trade agreements have received much criticism from within the participating countries (U.S., Canada, and Mexico in the NAFTA case), they also gain much support within those countries. The U.S. President, from Clinton through Obama, has generally been a strong supporter of free trade treaties. Why?
5. Edward Snowden’s revelations about the NSA’s surveillance activities have generated great controversy, with responses ranging from strong support and demands for amnesty to condemnations of his actions as dangerous to the national security of the U.S. and its friends. What individuals and organizations should be the legitimate targets of spying and surveillance by the U.S. government, if any? Why? If you accept a category of legitimate intelligence-gathering, what mechanisms do you recommend for ensuring both its security and its limits?
6. Imagine that you are the Obama foreign policy team – President Obama as the decisive leader along with his top advisers. Outline two policies that you might pursue in responding to the Russian incursion into Ukraine. Assess the strengths and weaknesses of each policy, taking account of the aims and capacities of Russia (as you understand them), the relevant features of contemporary Ukraine, the views and capacities of U.S. allies, and the shape of public opinion and organized interests in the United States.
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