Pols 321 Second Midterm Study Questions
S. Majeski
Winter 2003

1. In what ways were the Reagan Administration's policies toward arms control and Central America in the early 1980s consistent and inconsistent with the Containment Doctrine and early Cold War foreign policy?

2. In the summer of 1965 George Ball presented a very persuasive argument why the U.S. should not send large numbers of combat troops to Vietnam? Why did he lose the policy debate?

3. Compare and contrast the two models of decision-making (rational choice, and bureaucratic/governmental politics) to explain the U.S. decision during the Cuban Missile Crisis. That is, what are the relative strengths and weaknesses of the two models and which one provides the best explanation of the U.S. decision-making in this crisis?

4. We view the policymaking and the outcome of the Cuban Missile Crisis as a case of good policymaking. Some "hawks" disagree. They claim that the U.S. settled for far less than it should have. How did they come to this conclusion? Do you think their position is justified? Why or why not?

5. Why did the United States become so tragically involved in Vietnam during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations? What other factors beside containment appeared to play a role?