Part 1: 75 Points After Listening To The Lectures In The Mod 

Part 1 75 Pointsafter Listening To The Lectures In The Modules An


Part 1 75 Pointsafter Listening To The Lectures In The Modules An


Part 1 (7.5 points) After listening to the lectures (in the modules) and reading the two documents please write a single post answering the following two questions and composing one question of your own. Your answers should be a nice robust paragraph--around 6-10 sentences. You will not be able to see anyone else's posts until you make your own post by clicking "reply" to this discussion. Please do this by noon on Thursday--after you would have done the reading and sat through both classes were we still on campus. DUE BY THURSDAY AT NOON.



1. How has the world changed according to Clinton since the postwar era (ca. ) and what does that mean for the US economy in the 1990s? Do you think Clinton's definition of freedom is tied to Reagan's from last week? If so how and why or why not? What is America's role in the world? (2.5 points)




2. How was Bush's worldview different from the preceding Clintonian vision? What ideals did he appeal to and why do you think some referred to his foreign policy as "Neo-Wilsonian" evoking President Wilson from WWI? What is America's role in the world? (What a great exam question this would be!) (2.5 points)




3. Write ONE analytical question following up on EITHER of the documents. That is don't ask a factual or opinion question but rather a question about what the document means or why the author was arguing what he was arguing. (2.5 points)



Paper For Above instruction



The postwar era, especially the 1990s, marked a significant transformation in the global landscape, as outlined by Clinton. According to Clinton, the world became increasingly interconnected and multi-polar, driven by advances in technology, communication, and the dissolution of Cold War tensions. This shift meant that the US economy could no longer thrive solely through isolation or traditional manufacturing but needed to adapt to a digital, service-oriented, and globally integrated economy. Clinton’s perspective on freedom expanded the earlier Reaganite vision by emphasizing not just economic liberty but also social and political freedoms, suggesting a more inclusive conceptualization of personal and collective autonomy. While Reagan focused on free-market principles and anti-communism, Clinton linked freedom to broader issues of human rights and global cooperation, though both underscored the importance of economic liberty. America's role was increasingly that of both a leader and a partner in fostering global stability and promoting democracy, with an emphasis on economic growth and technological innovation as tools for influence.




In contrast, President George H. W. Bush's worldview was rooted in a sense of strategic conservatism and a belief in American exceptionalism that prioritized stability, order, and the containment of chaos. Bush appealed to ideals of global responsibility, security, and a collective effort to promote peace, evoking Wilsonian principles of moral diplomacy. The label "Neo-Wilsonian" for his foreign policy reflects this emphasis on spreading democracy and human rights, but with a pragmatic approach rooted in realpolitik and coalition-building rather than idealism alone. Bush sought a world where American leadership was exercised through alliances and multilateralism, rather than unilateral actions. His vision differed from Clinton’s more economically oriented perspective by emphasizing security and order over expansive social freedoms but still ultimately positioning America as a moral and strategic leader in international affairs.




An analytical question arising from the documents might be: How does the invocation of Wilsonian ideals in Bush’s foreign policy reflect a continuity or a departure from traditional American exceptionalism? This question explores the underlying principles that guided these leaders’ visions of America’s role and whether the emphasis on spreading democracy and promoting global order represents a consistent core of American foreign policy or a strategic adaptation to changing global circumstances.



References
  • Kaplan, R. D. (1994). The Ends of the Earth: A Journey at the Dawn of the 21st Century. Vintage.
  • Packer, G. (1998). The Assassins' Gate: America in Iraq. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
  • Krauthammer, C. (1990). The Unipolar Moment. Foreign Affairs, 70(1), 23-33.
  • Fukuyama, F. (1992). The End of History and the Last Man. Free Press.
  • Clinton, W. J. (1997). State of the Union Address.
  • Bush, G. H. W. (1990). Address to the United Nations General Assembly.
  • Schlesinger, S. (2004). War and the American Difference: The Contradictions of U.S. Foreign Policy. W. W. Norton & Company.
  • Mueller, J. (2004). The Obsolescence of Major War. International Security, 19(1), 42-63.
  • Gaddis, J. L. (2005). The Cold War: A New History. Penguin Press.
  • Kagan, R. (2002). Paradise and Power: America and Europe in the New World Order. Vintage Books.

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