Annual Editions: World Politics 12/13

The Annual Editions series is designed to provide convenient, inexpensive access to a wide range of current articles from some of the most respected magazines, newspapers, and journals published today. Annual Editions are updated on a regular basis through a continuous monitoring of over 300 periodical sources. The articles selected are authored by prominent scholars, researchers, and commentators writing for a general audience. Annual Editions volumes have a number of organizational features designed to make them especially valuable for classroom use: a general introduction; an annotated table of contents; a topic guide; an annotated listing of supporting World Wide Web sites; Learning Outcomes and a brief overview at the beginning of each unit; and a Critical Thinking section at the end of each article. Each volume also offers an online Instructor's Resource Guide with testing materials. Using Annual Editions in the Classroom is a general guide that provides a number of interesting and functional ideas for using Annual Editions readers in the classroom. Visit www.mhhe.com/annualeditions for more details.

Table of Contents:
Annual Editions: World Politics 12/13 Preface Series Correlation Guide Topic Guide Internet References Unit 1: The Multipolar International SystemUnit Overview1. The Future of the Liberal World Order: Internationalism after America, G. John Ikenberry, Foreign Affairs, May/June 2011Ikenberry argues that "although the United States' position in the global system is changing, the liberal international order is alive and well," and "China and other emerging great powers do not want to contest the basic rules and principles of the liberal international order" because they have prospered from it, since it is "an international mutual aid society." China, India and Brazil have benefitted from a liberal international order that is based on the Westphalian concept of state sovereignty, decentralization, balance of power, and a system of open trade and free markets.2. NATO after Libya: The Atlantic Alliance in Austere Times, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Foreign Affairs, July/August 2011There has been "a relative decline of European defense spending compared to that of emerging powers or the United States." The author stresses that the operation in Libya has underscored the unpredictability of threats that Europe faces, and the need for smart defense in a time of financial austerity.3. Sino-Indian Relations: A Troubled History, An Uncertain Future, Jeff M. Smith, Harvard International Review, Spring 2011Smith writes that "[China and India] share a long and more importantly, contested border, and a close proximity that can magnify grievances, encourage friction, and perpetuate a zero-sum mentality." The author observes that "China and India's primary disputes may be on land and at sea, but their parrying stretches beyond geographic boundaries, into cyberspace, the media, and international diplomacy."4. Hegemony with Chinese Characteristics, Aaron L. Friedberg, The National Interest, July/August 2011The author contends that "Seen from Beijing, Washington is a dangerous, crusading, liberal, quasi-independent power that will not rest until it imposes its views on the entire planet," and that "the United States and the People's Republic of China are locked in a quiet but increasingly intense struggle for power and influence, not only in Asia, but around the world."5. Welcome to the Post-Western World, Stephen F. Szabo, Current History, January 2011The author predicts the development of "A more pluralistic, less structures security system that "[will incorporate] a decline in America's power [and] a rapid increase in China's relative power, but without an accompanying willingness or ability to take on global responsibilities."6. Can the BRICs Become a Bloc?, Timothy M. Shaw, China Monitor, June 2010Shaw stresses "the importance of the BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India, and China), has increased in recent years but questions remain as to how cohesive is this new "global middle?" Nevertheless, the BRICs contribute to new multilateralism as an embryonic bloc "especially given the decline of United States unilateralism."Unit 2: DemocratizationUnit Overview7. The Fall of the Pharaoh: How Hosni Mubarak's Reign Came to an End, Dina Shehata, Foreign Affairs, May/June 2011The author writes that " . . . Mubarak's downfall was the result of three factors: increasing corruption and economic exclusion, the alienation of the youth, and the 2010 elections and divisions among the Egyptian elite over questions of succession." However, Shehata observes that the revolution has not resulted in a complete change, leaving the military and state bureaucracy in control.8. The Rise of the Islamists: How Islamists Will Change Politics, and Vice Versa, Shadi Hamid, Foreign Affairs, May/June 2011Truly democratic governments formed after the popular revolutions in the Middle East will "include significant representation of mainstream Islamic groups. The United States may discover "more convergence of interest than it expects."9. Arab Autocrats May Be Tottering, but the World's Tyrants Aren't All Quaking in Their Steel-Toed Boots, Graeme Robertson, Foreign Policy, May/June 2011The author writes that ruthless dictatorships are "one of the most enduring political archetypes [that have persisted into] the twenty-first century." Nonetheless, the Arab revolutions have offered a spark of hope, one that has clearly worried dictators in places as far off as Moscow and Beijing.10. After Gaddafi: How Does a Country Recover from 40 Years of Destruction by an Unchallenged Tyrant?, Dirk Vandewalle, Newsweek, March 7, 2011Vandewalle stresses that Gaddafi "has hollowed out the Libyan state, eviscerated all opposition in Libyan society, and in effect created a political tabula rasa on which a new free people will now have to scratch out a future."11. Danger: Falling Tyrants, Jeffrey Goldberg, The Atlantic, June 2011The author engages in a case study of Tunisia, but also stresses that "as dictatorships crumble across the Middle East, what happens if Arab democracy means the rise of radical Islamism?"12. Bangladesh's Quest for Political Justice, Jalal Alamgir, Current History, April 2010Alamgir writes that "Bangladesh's foremost political achievement has been the institutionalization of free and fair elections. But two basic ingredients of democratic consolidation have been missing: commitment to human rights and equality before the law."13. The Great Democracy Meltdown: Why the World Is Becoming Less Free, Joshua Kurlantzick, The New Republic, June 9, 2011The author states "the truth is that the Arab Spring is somewhat of a smokescreen . . . for democratic meltdowns, not democratic revolutions, that are now the norm". Kurlantzick observes that the number of electoral democracies has declined to the lowest point since 1995. The Obama administration has downgraded democracy promotion, and there has been a rise in isolationist sentiment in the United States.14. Failed States: The 2011 Index, Foreign Policy, July/August 2011Three African states—Somalia, Chad, and Sudan—once again top this year's Failed States Index, the annual ranking prepared by the Fund for Peace.Unit 3: Foreign Policy and TerrorismUnit Overview15. Does Obama Have a Grand Strategy?: Why We Need Doctrines in Uncertain Times, Daniel W. Drezner, Foreign Affairs, July/August 2011Drezner argues that the Obama administration does have a grand strategy, which consists of multilateral retrenchment and counterpunching. Counterpunching consists of responding to international provocations and "balancing against rising threats." Obama has "linked U.S. Foreign policy to American exceptionalism" and the biggest problem with Obama's new grand strategy is the troublesome domestic politics of the United States.16. Samantha and Her Subjects, Jacob Heilbrunn, The National Interest, May/June 2011Heilbrunn stresses that presidential adviser, Samantha Power, is the key promoter of humanitarian intervention in a civil war to prevent genocide, and is "one of the advisers most responsible for pushing Obama to intervene in Libya.17. Change in the Middle East: Its Implications for US Policy, Michael Singh, Harvard International Review, Spring 2011The author writes that ". . . the United States will need to redouble its efforts to address threats to its interests and conflicts in the region, alongside both local partners and allies in Europe and elsewhere" and will need to persuade "its [nondemocratic] allies that political reform is in the interests of their countries as well as themselves."18. After Osama bin Laden: They Got Him, The Economist, May 7, 2011According to some observers, Al Qaeda is under severe pressure, smaller than it has been for years, and less capable of carrying out operations in the West. Al Qaeda, however, has mutated from a hierarchical pyramid organization into branches and franchises, such as Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), al-Qaeda in Iraq, and al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb." Even with bin Laden dead, most counterterrorism professionals expect that little will change. The most important question however, concerns the form that global jihad will now take.Unit 4: War, Arms Control, and DisarmamentUnit Overview19. Iraq, from Surge to Sovereignty: Winding Down the War in Iraq, Emma Sky, Foreign Affairs, March/April 2011The author concludes that "Iraq still has a long way to go before it becomes a stable, sovereign and self-reliant country" and fears that "Iraq could once again dissolve into violence without continued U.S. support."20. Will America Lose Afghanistan—Again?, Gary M. Bowman, Current History, April 2011Bowman argues that the generals have provided poor advice to President Obama, because ". . . the generals oversold the troop surge's potential to quickly and sustainably alter the balance of forces in Afghanistan," which has resulted in "an irresolvable dilemma about how to leave Afghanistan while not conceding the country to the Taliban insurgents." The author concludes that "the surge has led to demonstrable military progress, but it will be squandered unless combat troops remain in place through 2012."21. Sudan on the Cusp, Richard S. Williamson, Current History, May 2011The author observes that "Many challenges lie ahead for the new independent nation and for what remains of the old Sudan, as well as for the neighboring countries, the wider region, and the international community," and that ". . . the two most critical issues are oil—revenue sharing and the future of the Abyei region."22. A World without Nuclear Weapons Is a Joint Enterprise, James Goodby, Arms Control Today, May 2011Goodby writes that "With the entry into force of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) between Russia and the United States, the time has come to widen the conversation about eliminating nuclear weapons to include other nuclear-armed states and states with advanced civil nuclear weapons programs."Unit 5: International Organization, International Law, and Human SecurityUnit Overview23. A Pipe Dream?: Reforming the United Nations, Thomas G. Weiss, Harvard International Review, Spring 2011Weiss observes that ". . . the dramatic transformation of the world organization, and not mere tinkering, is required if we are to address transboundary problems that threaten human survival and dignity." The author concludes that ". . . the United Nations still matters for its norms, legitimacy, and idealism . . . [and] urgently needs to reinvent itself . . . to be a vital force in global affairs."24. Who's Afraid of the International Criminal Court?: Finding the Prosecutor Who Can Set It Straight, David Kaye, Foreign Affairs, May/June 2011Kaye writes that "The future of the ICC, which was created in 1998 to deal with war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, depends on an effective prosecutor, as China, Russia, and the United States are not members of the ICC, and the Court does not enjoy the backing of the Security Council."25. The Pink Hijab, Robin Wright, The Wilson Quarterly, Summer 2011The article focuses on the Egyptian activist, Dalia Ziada, a member of the "pink hijab generation," which consists of "young women committed to their faith, firm in their femininity, and resolute in their rights."26. Feminism by Treaty, Christina Hoff Sommers, Policy Review, June & July 2011The author engages in a rather critical discussion of U.S. consideration of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and points out that "The American Bar Association and Amnesty International insist that it is wrong to suggest that CEDAW would supersede American Law, while opponents to the Treaty argue that many of its rules would "conflict with our traditions of individual freedom."27. The Persistence of Genocide, David Rieff, Policy Review, February & March 2011Rieff engages in a very critical analysis of the report of the United States Institute for Peace's task force on genocide, concluding that ". . . the solutions they propose are not real solutions, the history they touch on is not actual history, and the world they describe is not the real world."Unit 6: International Political EconomyUnit Overview28. The Global Financial System and the Challenges Ahead, Josef Ackermann, The Fletcher Forum of World Affairs, Winter 2011The author concludes that "The global financial system has recovered from the depths of the crisis" but cautions that ". . . the stabilization of financial markets is a precarious one" and that "parallel to these market developments, the institutional and regulatory framework for global financial markets is being reshaped." The author also adds that the financial crisis of 2008 has reshaped economic geography, and for example, "Today, four of the world's biggest banks by market value are Chinese . . ."29. One for All, All for One: The Euro in Crisis, Franco Pavoncello, World Affairs, May/June 2011Pavoncello engages in an analysis of the origins of the euro crisis, and how Greece's financial difficulties have called into question the future of the Eurozone. The author observes that "Greece provoked the sudden realization that a default of sovereign debt of Eurozone countries was possible if not probable," but concludes that Europe will not allow the "demise of the euro."30. Haiti: Testing the Limits of Government Aid and Philanthropy, Carol Adelman, The Brown Journal of World Affairs, Spring/Summer 2011The author writes that "Foreign aid, which does not include nongovernment aid from private sources, accounted for 13 percent of Haiti's GNI in 2008." Adelman concludes that "Given its dependency on foreign aid, if there is any hope for Haiti, it may be in new aid approaches that seek to work from the bottom up. Including the local community and local government."Unit 7: Global Environmental IssuesUnit Overview31. A Climate Coalition of the Willing, Thomas Hale, The Washington Quarterly, Winter 2011Hale observes that "intergovernmental efforts to limit the gases that cause climate change have all but failed." The author concludes that "by constructing a coalition of willing actors, the international community can make second-best, but still worthwhile progress toward mitigating climate change without a multilateral treaty."32. The Implications of Fukushima: The European Perspective, Caroline Jorant, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, July 2011Jorant writes that "the effects of the tragedy at Japan's Fukushima power plant will continue to reverberate over the upcoming weeks, months, and years. And . . . the consequences of the disaster go beyond Japan—like Chernobyl and Three Mile Island, Fukushima will reshape nuclear agendas and policies in countries around the world."33. The New Geopolitics of Food, Lester R. Brown, Foreign Policy, May/June 2011Brown argues that a breakdown in the food system could come at any time as the world goes through a transition from a condition of food surplus to food scarcity. The author predicts that food scarcity will result in more revolutions and turmoil, like those in the Arab Middle East in 2011.Test-Your-Knowledge Form