Lecture
Seminar
The world is changing dramatically and the United States is becoming more diverse racially and ethnically. Older U.S. industries are being replaced by newer service and technology-based enterprises. Despite general prosperity, there is poverty, crime, and continuing cynicism. The top segment of U.S. society is getting richer and continuing to increase the gap between it and the poorest sector. Traditional optimism and 'can do' spirit are being challenged by social and economic problems, tighter federal and state budgets, and anti-government attitudes.
A special challenge to future security policymaking comes from the Information Revolution and its technologies which in some instances are changing economic relations, eroding national sovereignty, and spawning new modes of communication.
The impact of future domestic and transnational factors on the political fabric of U.S. society will inevitably affect the quality and the process of U.S. national security.
Topic Objectives
- To assess the impact of changing domestic factors on the national security process.
- To assess the adequacy of the U.S. national security process to deal with the challenges of changing domestic and international factors.
Questions for Consideration
- Will changing demographics result in increased dissatisfaction with the government's ability to deal with domestic and international problems?
- Has the U.S. public become polarized along income class lines? Do economic elites have a disproportionate impact on national security decision-making?
- Will consensus on national security issues be easier to achieve or more difficult?
- Will individualism and emphasis on personal rights be modified by increased attention to community concerns?
Required Readings
Read A and all of B, C, D or E
A. Trends
* James Schlesinger, "Fragmentation and Hubris," The National Interest (Fall 1997), pp. 3-9. (Reprint)
* Michael J. Sandel, "America's search for a New Public Philosophy," The Atlantic Monthly (March 1996), pp. 57-74. (Reprint)
* Joseph Lieberman, "A Republic-If We Can Keep It," The Atlantic Monthly (July 1998), pp. 13-17. (Reprint)
B. Immigration
* Demetries G. Papdemetrian, "Migration," Foreign Policy (Winter 1997-1998, #109), pp. 15-31. (Reprint)
* David M. Kennedy, "Can We Still Afford to Be a Nation of Immigrants?," The Atlantic Monthly (November 1996), pp. 52-68. (Reprint)
C. Aging
* Peter G. Peterson, "Will America Grow Up before it Grows old?," The Atlantic Monthly (May 1996), pp. 55-86. (Reprint)
* Dean Baker, "Nine Misconceptions About Social Security," The Atlantic Monthly (July 1998), pp. 34-38. (Reprint)
D. Crime & Other Problems
* Louise Shelly, "Eradicating Crime Groups," Foreign Service (September 1997), pp. 18-23 (5) (Reprint)
* Douglas Keh, "Tracking the Money Flow," Foreign Service (September 1997), pp. 24-29. (Reprint)
* Crescencio Arcos, "Pushing Diplomacy's Limits," Foreign Service (September 1997), pp. 30-33. (Reprint)
E. Economics & Globalism
* George Soros, "The Capitalist Threat," The Atlantic Monthly (February 1997), pp. 45-58. (Reprint)
* David Goldblatt, David Held, Anthony McGrew and Jonathan Perraton, "Economic Globalization and the Nation-State: Shifting Balances of Power," Alternatives (July-Sept 1997, Vol. 22 No. 3), pp. 269-285. (Reprint)
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