POLS 321 Final Exam Study Questions - The final exam on March 19, 2003 will consist of 3 of the following 5 questions. You will be required to answer 2 of the 3 selected questions.

1. What aspects of the Clinton administration's foreign policy appear to be a continuation of classic cold war U.S. foreign policy? What aspects appear to be new and could be referred to as Post-Cold War policy? Use ideas and arguments from the Ikenberry, Danner, and Mandelbaum articles to supplement your argument.

2. Steven Walt in his article "Beyond bin Laden" made the two following statements. 1. "The terrorist attacks … triggered the most rapid and dramatic change in the history of U.S. foreign policy." 2. "The United States is still the leading economic and military power in the world ... Basic U.S. foreign policy goals are unaffected." How do you reconcile these two statements if you can?

3. How do you account for the Bush Administration decision to use massive force in the Gulf War in 1990-1991? What narrative (War as politics and politics as business, the fairy tale and the just war, or the competitive game) appeared to be the most effective in persuading the American public and Congress to support the decision to use force?

4. Nation-building has been characterized by some authors as an unnecessary and detrimental aspect of U.S. foreign policy and others have argued it is an essential and necessary feature of an effective U.S. foreign policy. On what grounds are these two views held? What is your position on this issue and why?

5. The Bush Administration national security strategy argues for preemptive actions against the enemies of the United States. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this shift in strategic thinking?