National Security

36423This mid-term exam will cover what you have learned in Modules 1-4. In Module 1, we explored the international relations theory of realism in world politics. We also defined grand strategy and some key terms related to it. These concepts tie into the international context of national security policy. In module 2, we explored the global context of national security affairs and the diversity of challenges America must address in contemporary world politics. In module 3, we examined the sources of executive authority in statecraft and the evolution of the resources and organization that presidents enjoy in the formulation of national security policy. Finally, in module 4, we examined capabilities and the role of the Department of Defense.

For your mid-term exam, you will pick ONE of the two sets of questions below and address them in a 5-8 page paper (not including the cover and reference pages):

Politics in the United States has been described as an “invitation to struggle” between the president and Congress, yet the evolution of power has placed the president in a clearly dominant position in national security affairs. What, in your analysis, have been the principle factors leading to executive dominance in national security? What are the most important Congressional roles in policymaking? Are there any instances or areas of policymaking where you would argue that Congressional activity has been detrimental to the provision of national security? Do you agree with those that claim Congress needs to reassert its Constitutional authority in the realm of national security? Why or why not?
In the United States, military leaders are not asked by political leaders when and where to go to war, and civilian control of the armed forces has always been a central feature of American democracy; some contemporary observers however argue that there is a developing crisis of civil-military relations. To the extent that this is true, what would you specify as the most obvious manifestations of this crisis? The causes and severity of these problems? How can American society best ensure that the armed forces remain subordinate to civilian authority while retaining the ability to respond to a wide range of security challenges?

Course Book used in the class is: US National Security: Policymakers, Processes, and Politics, 5th edition
Sam C. Sarkesian, John Allen Williams, and Stephen J. Cimbala