Topic: Foreign policy:  Cause and Effects and Counter-Factuals
 
                1.  Choose and describe ONE foreign policy action (action or event or decision) and identify ONE possible
                      cause of it.

                2.  What ONE other action might have resulted form THIS cause but was never observed?

The event can involve any nation or actor in the Cold War.

Logic:  A was a cause of B; and, although it might be reasonable to expect it, A did not cause us to observe C.
 

Specifications:

• Typed, no cover page.
• 1 to 2 pages (NO more than 2!).
• Text must be double spaced.
• 1 inch margins on all sides.
• No font smaller than times 12.
• Text must be typed; graph may be done by hand or computer.
• Keep a copy of your original (paper or disk).

LaFeber (any portion you find useful).
Graphic of Decision Path.(Designed by Christian Erickson, Winter 1998.)
 

Below are sample midterm questions from Winter 1998.

The midterm was created from the questions below.  In the short and long essays, be sure to identify the year, actors, and significance of your answer.  In the short answer be as specific as possible.

The Midterm is Oct. 22.
Be sure to bring a clean $.29 blue book.

Short Answer:

• Identify the six factors that affect polling accuracy?
• Identify eight factors that influence respondent opinion?
• What are Independent and Dependent variables?
• Who were: Dean Acheson, John Foster Dulles, Douglas MacArthur, Philip Converse, Robert Kennedy, George Gallup, and Walter Lippman?
• What were the: Truman Doctrine, Baruch Plan, Berlin Blockade, NAFTA, H-bomb?
• What is the difference between "elite" and "mass" opinion?

• Why is random sampling important?
• What was NSC 68 and why was it important?
• What was the US's unique contribution to World War II?
• What was the Atomic Monopoly and how did the US intend to keep it?
• What was McCarthyism?
• What was the NSA of 1947 and why is it important?

• How did public opinion influence the genesis of the Cold War?
• During the genesis of the Cold War, what did US officials do to influence public opinion? What was its effect?
• How do the elite and mass foreign policy behavior in the US vary? What effect did these differences have on the implementation of foreign policy during the Cold War?
• How did the Korean War influence the direction of the Cold War?
• Place the Marshall plan in the context of the Cold War. What were its causes? Effects?
• What is NATO, what led to its creation, and why is it important?

This is the study guide from Winter 1998:

Bring TWO $.29 Blue Books.
This guide includes SOME, but not all, of the topics on the final.
Sections I, II, III, covers material since the midterm, section IV, the entire course.

I.     Identify who/what, when, so what, in a sentence. e.g.: Albright - Secretary of State for Clinton's 2nd term, pushed for NATO expansion.

• AIPAC.
• Westmoreland.
• Diem.
• Interest Group.
• Proliferation.
• Giap.
• Patron-Client control.
• March 31st Speech.
• Ex post/ex ante.
• How to read a table.

• Define independent/dependent variables.
• The importance of variables that vary.
• Why was NSC-68 important?
• What is Condorcet's Paradox?
• What is the difference between decision theory and game theory?
• What was the Tet Offensive?

• What concerns do we have in the way we measure nation-state aid?
• What are the explanations for US aid to Israel? How do we determine which is right?
• Did the United States win or lose the Vietnam War? Why? Be sure to use concepts discussed in class.
• Apply Organski's argument to the decision to intervene in Vietnam.

• In what ways was the Vietnam War an extension of the Cold War, and in how was it an exception?
• How did the way that the Vietnam War was fought effect US domestic politics and public opinion? Draw on specific arguments from the Holsti book.
• Use the following concepts to discuss the Cuban Missle Crisis: Condorcet's Paradox, ex post/ex ante, control variables.
• Use the Prisoner's Dilemma to analyze a Cold War event.

As a student at the University of California, Davis, you live and work in one of the top research universities in the country.  The benefit of being a student here is that your faculty conduct state of the art research;  the drawback is that classes are large.  One way for you to get the most our of your Davis experience, and to compensate for the size of classes, is to attend the myriad presentations and discussions of current research available on campus.

The prevalence of world renowned scholars discussing their research represents one of the most important and unique aspects of university life.  As a liberal arts student, you will sample various fields of interest through your course work; but you can find another, simpler, shorter, (and cheaper) approach to intellectual variety through attending the talks and seminars conducted by UCD and visiting scholars.

In order to encourage your attending at research talks, I will provide any student who attends a research talk, and turns in a brief write-up, three points on the final exam.
 

• The talk must concern academic research (if in doubt, just ask).
• Only one write-up per student, but I hope that you will get into the habit of attending talks.
• Write-ups are due by the Final Exam.

Last Updated: 10/18/98.
Site designed by: Christian Erickson with Fall 1998 updates, revisions, and extensions by Bethany Barratt (babarratt@ucdavis.edu).