IBHOTA Suggested Syllabus Paper Questions
You are welcome to use any or all of these for your syllabus papers. You are also welcome to write your own questions.
Select ONLY ONE option from each bullet…
· Truman: containment and its implications for the Americas; the rise of McCarthyism and its effects on domestic and foreign policies of the United States; social and cultural impact of the Cold War
Options:
A) What were the origins of the containment policy and how did it impact American politics and culture?
B) Why was the United States so easily swayed by McCarthyism?
C) To what extent did the Cold War create the atmosphere that fostered McCarthyism?
· Korean War, the United States and the Americas: reasons for participation; military developments; diplomatic and political outcomes
Options:
A) To what extent was American involvement in the Korean War justifiable?
B) The Korean War was a military stalemate, but a political victory. To what extent do you agree with the statement?
· Eisenhower and Dulles: New Look and its application; characteristics and reasons for the policy; repercussions for the region
Options:
A) How did the New Look policy alter American military objectives and its relationship with Latin America?
B) What were the origins of the New Look foreign policy and how successful was it at achieving its goals?
· United States' involvement in Vietnam: the reasons for, and nature of, the involvement at different stages; domestic effects and the end of the war; Canadian non-support of the war; Latin American protest against the war
Options:
A) To what extent was the war in Vietnam justifiable?
B) What were the political and societal impacts of the Vietnam War on the Americas?
C) The Vietnam War was an overt demonstration of the futility of the American policy of containment and an indictment of American efforts at hegemony. Discuss.
· United States' foreign policies from Kennedy to Carter: the characteristics of, and reasons for, policies; implications for the region: Kennedy's Alliance for Progress; Nixon's covert operations and Chile; Carter's quest for human rights and the Panama Canal Treaty(1977)
Options:
A) How and why did American policy toward Latin America change in the Kennedy Administration?
B) Discuss American covert operations in Latin America from 1960-1990.
C) To what extent was Jimmy Carter’s movement for human rights successful?
· Cold War in either Canada or one Latin American country: reasons for foreign and domestic policies and their implementation
Options:
A) How did the political influence of the Cold War exacerbate the social and economic causes of the Cuban Revolution?
B) Discuss Castro’s rise to power, his Cold War rhetoric and policies, and influence over other Latin American leaders.