Spring 2009 Final Questions

 

General Instructions:  

 

  • You are to select TWO essay questions from two different groups.  Neither question may come from your group presentation.  Also, some of these questions closely parallel questions from the mid-term.  You may not repeat a question on a similar topic from the mid-term (ask if you are uncertain).
  • The papers are to be roughly 3-5 double-spaced typed pages in length.
  • The papers MUST include citations (not textbook or lecture notes or power point presentations – but you may include group required readings). 
  • You MUST include one citation that takes a different perspective than you adopt in your thesis and you MUST acknowledge and respond to the strongest counter-arguments against your position.  Failure to cite and respond to counter-arguments will significantly hinder your grade.
  • The deadline for the papers has been extended to Monday 11 May 9:00 hrs. (The same deadline extends to all assignments for this course – but try to get as much as possible ASAP before the deadline).  You must submit HARD-COPIES to Dr. Rogers by that day/time.  You may place them in the box on my office door (CAC 210). Please

 

WMD:

 

1.      Recently, the Obama Administration announced a number of changes in US nuclear policy.  It said that it would encourage the Senate to ratify the CTB (comprehensive test ban) – that would eliminate the possibility for developing “micro-nuclear” bunker busters (e.g. to take out the Iranian nuclear facilities) that the Bush administration was pursuing.  The Obama Administration also announced that it would unilaterally move to a position of “minimal deterrence” – approximately 1,000 total warheads and seek to encourage the Russians to do the same.  Imagine that you have been asked to evaluate the new nuclear policy.  To the extent that you agree with the policy – make an argument in defense of the policy.  To the extent that you disagree (either because we did not go far enough OR we went too far) – define and defend your own position on the issue.

2.      The US has been criticized in the Islamic World for its “double standard” with respect to nuclear weapon programs. There is no US government criticism of Israel and the US recently agreed to revoke its restrictions on India for building nuclear weapons but it has not offered a similar deal to Pakistan and of course the US is working hard to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.  Do you agree or disagree with the US policy on this point.  Why or why not?

 

 

 

3.      Imagine that you are a member of the US National Security Council and you have been asked to analyze and make recommendations with respect to the Iranian nuclear program.  In your analysis you will need to address the following questions: (1) should Israel be given a green light to preempt OR should the US preempt itself?  Why or why not?  (2) If Israel preempts, should the US condemn Israel or endorse the action?  (3) If Iran acquires nuclear weapons, what are the implications for global and regional security and what should US policy be in the event Iran acquires them?  Will Iran be deterred from attacking another state (e.g. Israel?)?  Can Iran be deterred from selling tactical nuclear weapons to terrorist groups such as Hezbollah? Will it spur a regional arms race? OR

4.      India and Pakistan are, once more, in a political crisis following the terrorist attacks in Mumbai.  Does the existence of nuclear weapons in both countries make the situation more or less dangerous? Why? What should US policy be given your assessment of the threat? OR

5.      Biological and Chemical Weapons may be a greater threat for terrorist acquisition than nuclear weapons because the precursors are so readily available and the weapons are relatively low tech.  What, if anything, can be done to mitigate the threat that terrorist organizations might acquire Biological and/or Chemical Weapons?  You will want to discuss what to do about the stockpiles of weapons held by states and the precursors held by universities and corporations and the verification problems.

 

 

Human Rights;

  1. What is your position on capital punishment? Make an ethical AND a practical argument for or against capital punishment.
  2. Are there Universal Human Rights, and if so what are they? What rights do you believe should be applied universally and what issues should be left to the culture to decide?  Defend your position against the opposing viewpoints OR
  3. If you believe in Universal Human Rights – where do they come from?  You will want to examine divine law, natural law, “deductive reasoning” (e.g. Kant, Rawls), and Liberal Constructivist explanations (i.e. they did not always exist they have evolved as international society changes.  They are what the international community says they are).
  4. What should US do about Darfur? Should the US, NATO, or the UN intervene with military force to stop the atrocities (either genocide or ethnic cleansing depending on your definition)?  Why or why not? Be sure to respond to the counter-arguments against your position.
  5. According to objective sources such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, there is conclusive evidence that the People’s Republic of China is engaged in a wide variety of Human Rights violations and they extends far beyond their one-child policy that results in aborting female fetuses and female infanticide. First, summarize the range of human rights violations committed by the PRC. Second, define and defend your own position as to how the US should respond to these violations: There are three basic alternatives: (1)  Do we totally ignore the human rights issues in order to focus on economic or security issues (e.g. modernization of the Chinese military and cyber-hacking)? (2) Do we take a position of “constructive engagement” or quiet diplomacy where we do not criticize them in public but attempt to persuade them privately to alter policies + encourage NGOs in China to foster the evolution of China towards more human rights ? or (3) Do we directly confront China on at least some of their human rights issues e.g. public statements condemning the actions by the Obama Administration, boycotting ceremonies (like opening ceremony of Olympics), or more drastically, attempting to get them evicted from the WTO? 
  6. According to objective sources such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, there is conclusive evidence that North Korea is engaged in massive human rights violations (probably the worst record of any country in the current world).  First, summarize the range of human rights violations committed by the “Democratic” People’s Republic of North Korea. Second, define and defend your own position as to how the US should respond to these violations: There are three basic alternatives: (1) Do we totally ignore the human rights issues in order to focus on security issues (e.g. North Korean nuclear and ballistic missile programs, the prospect that they might sell nuclear technology or biological and chemical weapons to terrorists)? (2) Do we take a position of “constructive engagement” or quiet diplomacy where we do not criticize them in public but attempt to persuade them privately to alter policies + encourage NGOs in North Korea to foster the evolution of North Korea towards more human rights? (This was called the “Sunshine” Policy in South Korea) or (3) Do we directly confront North Korea through economic sanctions or more dramatically through covert or overt attempts at “regime change?” 
  7. There is conclusive evidence from neutral organizations that focus on democratic issues (e.g. Open Society, Freedom House, etc) that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is subverting the democratic process in Venezuela.   First, summarize the ways in which the Chavez regime is undermining democracy and subverting human rights. Second, define and defend your own position as to how the US should respond to these violations: There are three basic alternatives: (1) Do we totally ignore the human rights issues in order to focus on economic and security issues (e.g. better terms on sale of Venezuelan oil or agreements with Venezuela to avoid all contact with Russian military)? (2) Do we take a position of “constructive engagement” or quiet diplomacy where we do not criticize them in public but attempt to persuade them privately to alter policies + encourage (and perhaps covertly support) opposing Political Parties in Venezuela? Or (3) Do we directly confront Venezuela through public statements, economic sanctions, or more dramatically through covert or overt attempts at “regime change?” 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Globalization:

 

 

  1. First, compare and contrast (i.e. discuss similarities between “free trade” and “fair trade”).  Second, evaluate the “fair trade” criticisms of the “free trade” position.  Finally, make recommendations on ways in which you would modify the current system from either a fair trade or free trade perspective.
  2. To Free Trade Liberals, Outsourcing or offshoring is viewed as a positive (and largely inevitable) result of global development.  Fair trade liberals see the process as mixed but often benefiting the MNCs and wealthy in the developing countries to the detriment of workers in both developed and developing countries.  They seek to regulate and modify the process so that labor (in both countries) benefits more from the process.  Protectionist/Merchantalists want to keep as many jobs as possible in the US and therefore seek to stop as much outsourcing or offshoring as possible.  Which position do you take on outsourcing/offshoring?  Why? Be sure to defend your position with some economic arguments and statistics.
  3. Globalization is not a new phenomenon but the degree of economic, cultural, and political connections between countries can accelerate at different points in history with the advent of new technological developments.  Discuss the impact of the internet and electronic transfer of funds on: (1) the global economy and (2) the spread of liberal democracy and human rights.  Remember, that there is a positive and negative view of both of these developments (e.g. terrorists can use the internet as well and the electronic transfer of funds can contribute to the volatility of the global market in times of economic crisis).
  4. Using the four different views on socialization on the global scale: McDonaldization, Cocacolonization, Wal-marting, and Disneyfication, discuss and evaluate the positive and negative impacts these phenomena will have on their target countries.
  5. Discuss the connections between migration and globalization. In what respects does globalization produce migration? What effects does migration have on the source and target countries?  Finally, make policy recommendations on migration based on your analysis.
  6. Discuss the impact of the export/exchange of popular culture (movies, television, music, etc) on attitudes towards other people’s/countries in the world.  You will want to discuss ways in which this export/exchange produces positive sense of common humanity and the mixture of cultural genres AND the ways in which it produces a negative (and sometimes violent) reaction against “cultural imperialism.”  You will also want to make an overall judgment on whether or not the export/exchange of popular culture is a positive or negative phenomenon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Transnational Crime:

 

  1. Cyber-Crime has exploded as a new form of transnational criminal activity.  First describe the scope of the problem including the wide range of techniques and forms that cyber-crime takes. Second, describe current efforts to curtail the crime.  Finally, make recommendations about how to mitigate the problems in the future. (You will want to focus on the criminal activities of transnational criminal organizations as opposed to the cyber-warfare of activities of countries o terrorist organizations).
  2. One of the suggestions for coping with the transnational drug trafficking and mitigating the power of transnational drug cartels is to legalize some (all) of the drugs.  Do you favor legalization of drugs? Why or why not?  If so, which drugs would you legalize?  OR
  3. The Taliban and Al Qaeda are receiving considerable funding from the opium produced in Afghanistan and the Opium production is the single largest component of the Afghan GDP (by a large margin); therefore, according to some analysts, eradication of this source of income might depress the Afghan economy so severely that establishing a stable country might be impossible.  For these two reasons, some Western analysts have called for stationing significant NATO forces in opium producing areas and bringing Afghanistan into the licit (legal) opium market (i.e. to produce morphine).  Do you agree or disagree with this proposal?  Why or why not? What would your policy toward the two problems listed above be? OR
  4. Piracy is growing as an international problem. First describe the scope of the problem. Second, describe current efforts to curtail the crime.  Finally, make recommendations about how to mitigate the problem in future.  You will want to comment on the utility of arming vessels, the use of private security firms, more frequent NATO or UN sponsored naval and aerial patrols in dangerous areas possibly with bases in the region and anything you care to include. OR
  5. Counterfeiting of currency is a serious problem in transnational crime.  First describe the scope of the problem. Second, describe current efforts to curtail the crime.  Finally, make recommendations about how to mitigate the problem in the future.
  6. The globalization of the sex trade is manifested in various ways including: (1) taking individuals (typically women) across international borders under false pretenses or against their will and forcing them into prostitution and (2) the growth of “sex tourism” where “johns” travel to different countries (e.g. Thailand for women and Costa Rica for young boys) specifically to engage in sexual activities.  First describe the scope of the problem. Second, describe current efforts to curtail the crime.  Finally, make recommendations about how to mitigate the problem in the future.
  7. Select any other form of transnational crime (illicit arms sales, “blood diamonds”; illicit sale of endangered species, archaeological artifacts, or works of art, etc.  First describe the scope of the problem. Second, describe current efforts to curtail the crime.  Finally, make recommendations about how to mitigate the problems in the future.