MLS501D

Syllabus

MLS501D (Section 1)

"AMERICAN IDEALS IN GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE"

North Carolina State University

Fall Semester 2004

Wednesdays, 6:00-8:50

Caldwell 212

INSTRUCTOR

Dr. Marvin S. Soroos

Professor of Political Science and Public Administration

North Carolina State University

Office: Caldwell 207

Phone (with voice mail): 515-3755

E-Mail: soroos@ncsu.edu

Website: http//:social.chass.ncsu.edu/soroos/

Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:30-11:30; by appointment,

or on a walk-in basis when the door is open

THE TOPIC OF THE SEMINAR

The "victory" of the United States and the West over the Soviet Union and communism fourteen years ago brought an end to the Cold War that had dominated world affairs the end of World War II. The United States entered the 21st century as the only remaining superpower, and American ideals such as democracy, freedom, human rights, market economics, and free enterprise were being embraced around the world as never before. However, the terrorist acts of last September 11, 2001 reminded Americans that not all peoples welcome the international dominance of the United States and regard American ideals as a threat to their deeply held cultural values. The United States led war against Saddam Hussein's government has been justified in part as an effort to extend American ideals such as freedom and democracy to the Iraqi people. These events have caused many Americans to reflect on the nature of American values, how these values are being promoted internationally, the extent to which they are being sacrificed domestically in the fight against terrorism, and why so many people around the world have negative feelings about the United States and what it stands for.

This course will examine core American ideals, how they evolved, what distinguishes them from competing ideologies, and the extent to which they are transferable to countries with very different cultures, histories, and levels of economic development. It will also critically inquire about the extent to which the United States has been achieving its ideals and how successful it has been in promoting these values globally. The course will be divided into three parts devoted to the following topics and questions indicated for each.

I. Distinguishing American Ideals

What are the core American ideals? To what extent are American ideals subject to differing interpretations?
How do American ideals fit into the evolution of political and economic thought in the Western world?
Are American values the culmination of humanity's ideological evolution?
What are the principal alternatives to American ideals; such as fascism, socialism, and communism?
To what extent is the United States achieving its basic ideals? Does the United States provide a favorable model for other nations to emulate?
Are there insights Americans can learn from the values and perspectives of other societies?

II. Democratization and Human Rights Around the World

Is there a global trend toward the adoption of democratic forms of government?
What differences are there in the practice of democracy in various countries around the world?
What experiences have the former socialist and developing countries had in converting their political systems to democracies?
What conditions seem to favor a successful transition to democracy and the maintenance of democratic regimes?
What human rights are recognized and promoted through the United Nations and international law?
To what extent are human rights being observed by countries throughout the world? How are they monitored and enforced?

III. Economic Liberalism and Globalization

What is economic globalization? What differentiates contemporary globalization from the economic interdependence of previous era?
What factors have given rise to economic globalization?
What are the benefits of economic globalization? How broadly are these benefits distributed within and among societies?
To what extent does economic globalization advance or hinder the prospects for democracy and human rights around the world?
Why has economic globalization aroused a strong political backlash in the United States and around the world? What arguments are made against economic globalization as it has evolved?
Has the momentum toward economic globalization has been weakening in recent years?

COURSE OBJECTIVES

As an honors seminar, the course will have several general objects including----

broadening of personal knowledge and perspectives
fostering critical thinking
examining alternative conceptions of American values
developing research skills
improving writing skills
gaining confidence in oral communication
encouraging creativity and intellectual risk taking

The class sessions will be devoted largely to discussion, rather than to lectures. We will experiment with a variety of formats for the discussions, including having assigned groups of students get together take charge of certain class sessions. Students are expected to complete all of the assigned readings prior to each class session and to come prepared to discuss them.

BOOKS TO PURCHASE

Terence Ball and Richard Dagger, Political Ideologies and the Democratic Ideal, 4th or 5th edition, Longman, 2001/2004.

Thomas L. Friedman, The Lexus and the Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2000 paperback edition.

SEMINAR PAPER ASSIGNMENT

Each student will write a seminar paper with a target length of 15-20 doublespaced pages. Twelve pages is the minimum for an acceptable paper. The paper may be longer than 20 pages, but keep in mind the grade will be based more on quality than length. Papers will be graded on both substance and composition. The paper should be written exclusively for this course, unless an alternative arrangement has been approved by the instructor.

Each student will select a term paper assignment on the basis of his/interests. The following are two types of topics that would be appropriate for the course.

Country Paper. The paper would focus on a specific country of the student's choosing and explore how democracy and economic globalization are working out in that country. Examples of countries that might be interesting are Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Iran, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Uganda, Peru, Mexico, Haiti, Venezuela, Argentina, South Africa, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Egypt, but many other countries are good possibilities. Developing countries probably work better than other developed ones for this assignment.

Topic Paper. The paper would examine a specific topic of relevance to the major themes of the course. The following are illustrations of the types of topics that might be developed.

-American Values and the Foreign Policy of President Bush

-Capital Punishment in International Perspective

-The World Economic Forum (which meets in Davos, Switzerland, each year)

-Effects of Globalization on Your Home Community

-The 2004 Summit of the Group of Eight

-Anti-Globalization Activism

-The Impact of the Internet on Democracy

-The Patriot Act and and Civil Liberties in the United States

-Democracy and the Arab World

-The Chinese Crackdown on Democracy Activists (Tiananman Square-1989)

-The Opposition of the United States to the International Criminal Court

-Foreign Perceptions of the United States and American Values

-The United States at the World Summit on Sustainable Development of 2002

-The Meetings of the World Trade Organization in Cancun in 2003

-The Headscarf Controversy in France

Timetable

Wednesday, September 22 - submit topic

Wednesday October 27 - submit outline

Wednesday, November 17 - submit seminar paper

Website Resources

Globalization, Democracy & Term Paper Resource Websites

Human Rights Websites

Internet Sites for Researching Countries

Google

Encyclopedia Britannica

Lexis-Nexis Academic

PROBLEM ESSAYS

In lieu of in-class examinations, each student will write two essays of 7-10 pages which draw upon the course readings and class discussions. The assigned topics will be circulated approximately two weeks before the due dates with are Monday, October 4, and Wednesday, December 8.

Assignment for Problem Essay #1

Assignment for Problem Essay #2

ATTENDANCE POLICY

This being a seminar that places emphasis on participation on class participation, regular attendance is expected of all students.

CLASS SESSIONS

This being a seminar course, lectures will be held to a minimum to give priority to class discussions of most topics. Thus it is very important to students make a conscientious effort to complete the assigned readings prior to the class session for which they are assigned. Note also for most class sessions there is a link to an on-line study guide that can be used to prepare to participate in class discussions.

GRADES

The course will be graded on an A,B,C,D,F basis, with pluses and minuses as appropriate. The grades will be based on the seminar paper (40%), the first problem essay (15%), the second problem essay (25%), and class attendance and participation in class discussions (20%). The grade scale will be 97-100 (A+), 93-96 (A), 90-92 (A-), 87-89 (B+), 83-86 (B), 80-82 (B-), 77-79 (C+), 73-76 (C), 70-72 (C-). A grade below 60 is failing.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Students are expected to do their own work. Acceptance of academic responsibility will be according to the University policy on academic integrity as defined by the Honor Pledge.

DISABILITY POLICY

The seminar will be conductied according to the University policy for students with disabilities. Students with hearing, visual, motor, learning, or other disabilities are asked to make any needs known at the beginning of the term so that appropriate adjustments can be made.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

UNIT I: COMPETING IDEOLOGIES

Week 1 (August 18) -

(a) Course Introduction

(b) Film: "Is America #1" (ABC documentary by John Stoessel)

Minxin Pei, "The Paradoxes of American Nationalism," Foreign Policy, Vol. 136, May/June 2003, pp. 31-37. (electronic reserves for HON295)

Week 2 (August 25) -

(a) The Question of American Primacy

Zuckerman, "A Second American Century" Foreign Affairs, May/June 1998, pp. 18-31 (electronic reserves for HON295 )

Stephen Brooks and William C. Wohlforth, "American Primacy in Perspective," Foreign Affairs, July/August 2002, pp. 20-33. (electronic reserves for HON295)

Websites (optional):

Pew Research Center of the People and the Press (in particular Views of a Changing World 2003)

Chicago Council on Foreign Relations (go to "key findings" and/or "final report")

(b) Democracy as Political Ideology

Ball and Dagger, chs. 1-2

Week 3 (September 1) -

(a) Liberalism as an Ideology

Ball and Dagger, ch. 3

Websites (optional)

Libertarian Party (take this survey)

John Locke Foundation

CATO Institute

Personal Choice Party

American Civil Liberties Union

Democratic Party

(b) Economic Liberalism

Martin Wolf, "The Morality of the Market," Foreign Policy, Vol. 138, Sept/Oct 2003, pp. 47-50. (Off-campus access)

Sheri Berman, "We Didn't Start the Fire: Capitalism and Its Critics, Then and Now," Foreign Affairs, Vol. 82, No. 4, July/August 2003, pp. 176-81

Week 4 (September 8) -

(a) Conservatism as an Ideology

Ball and Dagger, ch. 4

Websites (optional)

Republican Party

(b) Socialism/Communism as an Ideology

Ball and Dagger, ch. 5

Websites (optional)

Socialist Party-USA

Communist Part-USA

International Committee of the Fourth International

Week 5 (September 15)

(a) Communism in the Former Soviet Union and Elsewhere

Ball and Dagger, ch. 6

(b) Facism/Nazism as Ideologies

Film: "Fascism"

Ball and Dagger, 7

Websites (optional)

National Socialist Movement

American Nazi Party

Ayan Nation

Week 6 (September 22) - (Submit Seminar Paper Topic)

(a) Liberation Ideology

Ball and Dagger, ch. 8

Paul Starobin, "Going Dutch," National Journal, February 28, 2004, pp. 604-11. (electronic reserves)

Website (optional):

UN Conference on Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Related Intolerance

(b) Environmentalism as Ideology

Ball and Dagger, ch. 9-10

Websites (optional):

Green Party (US)

GreenPeace (International)

Sierra Club

Green Parties Worldwide

Yahoo Global Warming Page

UNIT II: DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

Week 7 (September 29) -

(a) A Global Trend Toward Democracy?

Freedom House, Democracy's Century: A Survey of Global Political Change in the 20th Century (access directly on line or electronic reserves)

Zakaria, "The Rise of Illiberal Democracy" Foreign Affairs, Vol. 76, No. 6, Nov/Dec

1997, pp. 22-43 (electronic reserves)

Websites:

Freedom House

(b) The United States and the Promotion of Democracy

George W. Bush, Speech to the National Endowment for Democracy, Nov. 6, 2003.

Dimitri K. Simes, "America's Imperial Dilemma, Foreign Affairs, Vol. 82, No. 6, December 2003, pp. 91-102. (Off-campus access)

Paul Starobin, "The French Were Right," National Journal, November 8, 2003, pp. 3406-3413.

First Problem Essay is Due October 4 (by 5:00 PM)

_________________________

NO CLASS ON OCTOBER 6

_________________________

Week 8 (October 13) -

(a) Prospects for Democracy in the Middle East

Marina Ottaway et al, "Democratic Mirage in the Middle East," Policy Brief. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, No. 20, October 2002. (available on line)

Ronald Inglehart and Pippa Norris, "The True Clash of Civilizations," Foreign Affairs, No. 135, March/April 2003, pp. 63-70. (electronic reserves)

(b) Does Democracy Have a Future in a Globalized World?

Robert D. Kaplan, "Was Democracy Just a Moment?" Atlantic Monthly, December 1997. (Off-campus access)

Websites (optional):

UN Electoral Assistance

Community of Democracies (see also)

US Department of State: Democracy, Human Rights and Labor

ACE Project of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems

International Foundation for Electoral Systems

International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance

Week 9-10 (October 20 and 27) -

(a) The United Nations and Human Rights