Questions:
1. In the articles linked below, the question of trade deficits and the WTO (look it up if you don’t know) are discussed in terms of whether bilateral (ex: U.S. and China) vs. multilateral (NAFTA) trade agreements are better. Discuss the different positions taken by the Trump administration and the economists critiquing the administration in terms of at least 2 of McDougall’s major themes of American foreign policy. Could you say that each side is following the basic outline of a theme, or is the question more complicated? The point is for you to think in terms of the grand themes of U.S. foreign policy as it relates to the issues discussed in the articles below. (approx. 700 words)
Economists Take Aim at Trump Trade Theory
Trump Takes Aim at the WTO
http://foreignpolicy.com/2017/03/02/trump-takes-aim-at-the-wto/
2. NSC 68 was arguably the founding document of the Cold War. It essentially offered a middle way between pre-emptive war with the USSR and a policy of strong diplomacy, but limited military buildup. Instead it offered the largest military buildup in US history, and led to proxy wars in Korea and Vietnam. Was the choice offered by NSC 68 the right one? Would a different option have worked as well or better? (approx. 300 words)
