UW SIS201 2011

This page is made for the students enrolled in SIS201 at the University of Washington. Study Questions for final

Part 1: terms, names, events Identify each term. When appropriate be sure to include key names, dates, or eras. Explain the significance of the term for SIS 201. Remember the name of the course is the The Making of the 21st Century, keep that in mind when thinking about the significance. Answer in NO MORE THAN 3 grammatically correct sentences (no run-ons). [perhaps you will be given a list of 12 to 15 of these terms, and asked to identify 8 to 10 of them for about 30% of the final.]

'Part 2. You will be asked to analyze a New York Times article in light of major themes in the course. Make an argument explaining what the article reveals about the making of the 21st century and global order/disorder. [For example, you might think how you would approach one of the following: 2/25/11 “U.S. Pulling Back in Afghan Valley it called Critical”  or 3/2/11 “Radical Cleric Demands Ouster of Yemen Leader.” ]  Perhaps 30% of the exam. '

'Part 3. From the following list, two essays will be selected, and you will have to answer one of them. 40% of the exam. Your answer should make an argument based on class lectures, assigned readings, and New York Times readings.'

'What drives global change? Why do global orders rise and fall? Develop an argument based on course readings. In your argument, analyze the perspectives of Frieden, Keylor, Fukuyama, and Tibi on the catalysts for global change, and put these authors in conversation with each other. Consider broad structural processes vs. grassroots movements and economic vs. political factors'

There are many factors that can drive global change. From Frieden's perspective, economics is perhaps the most forceful driver of change. However, from Fukuyama's perspective, global change follows a sort of Hegelian ideological evolution. To me, the answer is both. Both the individual and the collective, local and international ideological movements, society and the environment, and finally economics and politics all converge to drive global change. These are what cause global orders to rise and fall. An example of a broad structural process would be ASEAN proposing to integrate the voices of developing countries into the international financial system. They believe that this would help restore financial stability as well as ensure the continued functioning of the financial markets. There are also grassroots movements that effect the global order. For instance, the anti-nuclear movements that opposes the use of nuclear technologies. Although these are small social movements, the people still have a voice in the decisions that governments make, which affects global order because those decisions are usually made among the representatives of each nation involved. The most obvious economic factors that change global orders would be depression and inflation. These are perfect examples because this whole lecture was based on the Cold War and its affects on the world. During this war the world went into a great depression, which changed the way the governments cope with national financial crisis. However, if governments were able to cope with the stagnating effects on the real economy such as production, employment, and income then the worst of the economic effects from periods like the depression may be avoided. The political factors are just as important. The Soviet Union and the U.S. began having tensions when President Truman created the Truman Doctrine and launched the Marshall Plan in 1947 at the peace-time conferences. Every action has a reaction, and that reaction is usually the rise or fall of global orders.

'“The problem with creating world orders is that they are usually established at the end of a major war, and reflect the balance of power at that time. They cannot predict future developments, and are not very adaptable. Therefore, world orders seldom last. Indeed, attempting to create a lasting world order is a fool’s errand.” Critically analyze this statement based on course materials. Indicate your personal view on this quotation, and defend it both logically and empirically.'\

Though this statement bears some truth, the conclusion drawn is false. Considering the benefits of world orders, they provide a degree of security and justice. I will compare the ened for some sort of world order to the need for local government, and conclude that the benefits of world orders outweigh their costs.

Of course there are going to be new world orders because this term is vaguely identified as the reaction of nations after a dramatic change in the political world and the balance of power. There are four pillars that each nation attempts to establish for new world orders, which are legitimacy, stability, enforcement, and predictability. However, major changes would cause the world order to change. Therefore, "attempting to create a lasting world order is a fool's errand" is a true statement, but they are adaptable, which is shown with the widespread of Western ideology after the Cold War.

'On March 4, 1953, President Dwight Eisenhower wondered why it wasn’t possible “to get some of the people in these downtrodden countries to like us instead of hating us.” Yet, many asked a similar sort of question at the time of 9/11/01, and still today. Why have many people in the world, especially the developing world, distrusted or resented the US? To what do you attribute the development of anti-Americanism? What can and should be done about these views?'

According to Prof. Bachman, the US is so nationally focused that when it comes to outside of the US we are only focused on our own interests. In other words, if there is something that happens outside of the US that's out of our interest then we won't put any emphasis on it. The only time we care is when we're acting to do what's right. For example, in the middle east, people see the US as acting to pursue its interests that were narrow defined and that hurt them. Another example, is when the US didn't live up to international resolutions and they didn't push to get Israel out of occupied territories. It was a major hypocrisy on the US' part. Most of the world's developing countries have a negative view on the US because of its self interest.

'IN 1941, Henry Luce (who owned Time Magazine and other media properties) wrote an editorial arguing that the century going forward would be “the American Century.” In what ways was the period from 1941 to 2011 the American Century, and what ways was it not? On balance, would you agree that it still is the American Century?'

Thesis: 1941 to 2011 was only partially the "American century," in the sense that America dominated Western politics and economics. The reason it was only partial was because America competed with communism and a state planned economy the whole way through (even with the fall of the USSR). Furthermore, US dominance is being challenged by the rise of China, the threat of terrorism, and climate change. Because of these things this is no longer the American century.

'Weigh the relative influence of the following three major historical forces for change in the 20th Century in the making of the 21st Century: major war, economic growth, and nationalism. (Hint: develop criteria by which you can assess the relative influence of each.)'

Relative influence can be weighed by many different factors. Some of these may include military presence and where a country has its bases, how many people are helped or killed, GDP, tariff levels, the pole that measures happiness, etc. Major war's relative influence is measured by military presence, where a country has its bases, how many people are helped/killed because...Economic growth's relative influence is measure by GDP...Nationalism's relative influence is measured by tariff levels...

'Assume that Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya become effective democratic governments over the next 5 years, that Yemen is dominated by fundamentalist political forces, and that Afghanistan remains the site of endemic conflict. How would these developments likely affect the state of global order in 5 years? Of the three different outcomes (democracy, fundamentalist rule, endemic civil strife) in these particular places, which outcome is, in your estimation, the one that is likely to have the greatest impact? Explain, drawing on course materials and analytical thinking.'

'Consider the relationship between global collective action problems and global institutions over the period from 1950 to 2000. Which major collective action problems have global institutions dealt with rather well, and which have they failed to deal with very well? What explains the results you identify. [Be sure to think about several different collective problems, and develop criteria to assess whether the collective action problems are dealt with well or not.]'

'Some fundamental challenges to the current global order are: the rise of China; Islamic Fundamentalism; global climate change; uncontrolled capital flows; global poverty; and political polarization in the US. Which one is the most important? Justify your choice by comparing it to two other challenges. From the perspective of the United States, what is a fair and reasonable way to deal with the challenge you identify at the global level? From the perspective of a developing country what is a fair and reasonable way to deal with the challenge you identify at the global level?'

•	The rise of China compared to Islamic Fundamentalism and global climate change o	Tibi says that Islamic fundamentalism is not trying to control the whole world they are just trying to control their little piece of the world o	Global climate change is gradual whereas China could easily make a change overnight that could affect the global order. They’re an exporter of WMDs to many countries and they fund them which means that those countries could rise up just as easily. •	Climate change: large numbers of people on a scale, environmental refugees, gradual o	Poverty: poor people are refugees, food security and water will create more poverty, poor contribute to climate change; deforestation, loss of airable land, burning coal (own health and environment). o	China: market that’s worth trillions of dollars, environmental issues is a major issue for China and may be in their next 5 year plan, the world is important to China because the rest of the world is its market place.

Mcgregor→ Chinese party has a great amount of power and their success has shown that you don’t have to be a capitalist democracy based on the UDHR to have success. They have advanced faster than the US. They survived when Russia did not. And the played a major role in Vietnam and Korea.

Tibi→ Challenge of Islamic fundamentalism. He challenges Fukuyama, who in 1989 said that we reached the end of history where liberal democratic capitalism will prevail. Tibi says there will be a new global order/disorder. Mao got a bunch of adolescents to create violence saying they needed to make everyone do what’s right.

Keylor→ The world order post WWII. A lot of it is about the security in collective action problems. Food, disease, global warming, etc.

Frieden→ about global capitalism. Starts it with the gold standard and ends with globalization in the 90s.

2025→ arc of instability UDHR Covenant Charter International institutions-political, economic, social (how people react to things) Bretton Woods→ currency stability, world bank, IMF, WTO Lecture→look at titles of outlines