POL 300: Contemporary International Problems

Discussion questions for week 4

5.”Middle East in Turmoil” Please respond to the following:
In the wake of the Arab Spring and its aftermath — the unrest in the Middle East and regions around it — there are a number of critical developments to watch and discuss.
· Explain whether you believe that democracy has worked in Iraq and Afghanistan. Provide support for your response.
· Discuss the progress Iran is making in their attempt to implement a democratic election process. Next, speculate on two (2) challenges you believe Iran will face in accomplishing this task. Justify your response.
6. “Turning to a Market Economy” Please respond to the following:
Many developing countries in the “Global South” turned to socialism in the past as a means to solve their economic problems. Now, in light of the evident failure of socialism, many of these countries seek to create fast growth through the establishment of market economies.
· Select a country in the Global South that has been in the news recently and then visit a reputable website, read a newspaper, or watch a TV broadcast to catch up on the latest events relating to the economic development of the country. Next, using the country you researched, identify which of the five (5) market economy policies the country appears to be following. Provide support for this conclusion.
· Speculate about the likelihood of success in achieving a prosperous market economy for the country you researched. Next, discuss which of the policies is most effective and least effective for the country you researched. Provide a rationale for your responses.
7. “National Security” Please respond to the following:
The conclusion of the Cold War seemed to decrease the security problems of the world’s major powers. However, radical Islam created new, unexpected threats, including the 9/11 attacks. This demonstrated that all countries must always be on guard for the unexpected.
· Select any two of the four basic strategies used to preserve security. Identify and describe what assumptions are made about the opponent according to each of the two strategies you chose.
· Give an example of each of the two (2) strategies in current world politics and speculate on their effectiveness.
   $�