1. How is the NATO expansion of a continuation of the Cold War struggle for territory? Why did the expansion anger Russia?
2. There are many legal questions about violating sovereignty in the name of protecting human rights. Can we? Should we? When? Who should do it?
3. What countries do you see as powerhouses in the 21st century? Why? Consider geostrategic positions, military, economy, political culture, etc.
In the following questions, please use terms, conceptions, important figures, and dates of events from the textbook to support you answers.
Remember, this is practice for the final essay so make sure that you provide your own personal opinions and evidence from the readings/videos/discussions in class, thanks!
Essay Questions (Pick 1 Out of the 2, make sure that your response is at least 200 words):
1. What does the designation of intellectual property as a tradable good tell you about the international economy at the end of the twentieth century? Given the trend toward nuclear proliferation, do you think it is possible to prevent nuclear war?
2. What does the outbreak of genocide, ethic cleansing, and terrorist bombings in the 1990s tell you about the nature of the post-Cold War world? Do you think the rise in nationalist violence and the growing number of regional and international organizations signals the end of the nation-state as the most important actor in the international arena?
Welcome to Mr. Sha's Class! 
3.In terms of economic aggregates, the US GDP ranks the highest with 2.02 billion yuan, China ranks second, followed by Japan, Germany, and France. The United States is currently the world’s number one power, and it surpasses other countries in terms of military, technology, manufacturing, and the basis of all this is economic strength. After reforms China has also made tremendous progress in these areas.
According to the ranking of military power, the United States ranks first in Russia and second in China, and the United States and Russia are currently the two countries with the most nuclear weapons in the world.
Regarding scientific and technological strength, the rankings are the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan. First, American universities bring together more than 70% of Nobel Prize winners. Most of the world ’s best engineers and scientists come from the United States. Second, the UK ’s Nobel Prize won second place. The UK also has advantages over other countries in the fields of pharmaceuticals, biological breeding, machinery, and microelectronics.
What’s more, China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States are often referred to as great powers by academics due to “their political and economic dominance of the global arena”.
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1. Russia was still reeling from the dissolution of the USSR, the humiliation Russia had suffered due to many broken promises by the West, including the alleged promise not to enlarge NATO beyond the borders of a reunited Germany, also, NATO was created to combat Soviet expansion into Western Europe.
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2. Each country has a unique situation and method of economic development. It is necessary to ensure human rights to better develop the economy. For example, in the past few decades, China ’s rapid economic growth has been due to the improvement of human rights, and the protection of people ’s freedom is guaranteed As people ’s motivation to create wealth, both are important but sovereignty should come after human rights. But we should not violate the sovereignty because of financial protection.
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