EXTRA CREDIT - ASSIGNMENT #1 - 50 points

EXTRA CREDIT – 50 points, Due Monday, January 5

Introduction: The UN Today

The United States played an important role in the founding of the United Nations in 1945. After the terrible destruction of World War II, Americans believed the United Nations could provide the foundation for maintaining international peace and security. They were proud of their leadership and vision and hoped that it would establish the basis for a more peaceful world. Yet today, the U.S. commitment to the UN is uncertain at best. In fact, the role of the UN is part of a larger debate about U.S. foreign policy. While this debate is global, it is particularly heated in the United States. The role of the UN raises an important question about how the United States should go about addressing security concerns. Many Americans question whether the UN helps or hinders U.S. foreign policy. Many others remain committed to the UN.

Internationally, much discussion about the UN’s future involves the question of U.S. cooperation with the organization. The debate is about the role of the UN, its effectiveness, and its fairness. Some have called the UN a place for humanity to unite for peace and security, while other have deemed it naive and idealistic. While upholding faith in the aims of the UN, some criticize the way the organization operates. Some critics accuse the UN of serving only the interests of powerful states, while others regard it as an inefficient and meddling institution.

“The UN is failing to promote liberty, democracy, and human rights for all citizens.”

—U.S. Senator John Ensign (R-Nevada)

Today the world faces threats that no one foresaw at the time of the UN’s founding in 1945. AIDS, terrorism, the spread of nuclear weapons, and global climate change, for example, were not international concerns when the UN was formed. Some wonder if the UN has the capacity to face the challenges of a rapidly changing world. Others note that the UN’s success is, above all, a matter of the commitment its member have to working together to solve problems. They argue that the UN itself does not fail or succeed; the countries that make up its membership do.

“The United Nations is only as good as its members, especially its primary members, want it to be.”                                  —Brent Scowcroft, UN High Level Panel on Threats, Challenges, and Change

Read Challenges and Change: The UN Today.  Click HERE to open and print a copy.

Respond to each question in 3-5 sentences. Use facts and evidence from the reading.  Typed responses are preferred and can be e-mailed to me prior to the end of break or handed in upon return to school.

1. How did the United States assume a leadership role in the United Nations?

2. Explain the difference between a nation and a state. Identify an example of a nation that is not represented by a state.

3. Describe the lessons the international community learned from the failure of the League of Nations.

4. Which aspects of the Security Council do some people find problematic?

5. What new opportunities and challenges for the UN came with the ending of the Cold War?