Chapter 4 Other areas (Week 5)

4.1 Discussion questions

What are the benefits and costs of surrogate warfare according to Krieg (2016)? Do you agree? Should the US “leave” the Middle East?
What have you learned from Schenoni and Mainwaring (2019)? What are the policy implications concerning the US foreign policy toward Latin American countries?
What are America’s National Interests? (*)

The oil wars: How America’s energy obsession wrecked the Middle East | Eugene Gholz | Big Think

U.S. Troops Are Leaving Syria, Here’s What It Looks Like | NYT News

Biden lays out Latin America economic plan at summit marred by no-shows • FRANCE 24 English

How China Beat Out the U.S. to Dominate South America

4.2 Middle East and Latin America

Krieg (2016)
- Reasons: deniability, legitimacy, urgency, costs and capability
- Consequences: objectives of surrogates (state and non-state), effectiveness, moral hazard, hearts and minds (drones), reputation and moral standing
Schenoni and Mainwaring (2019)
- US support for democratization (particularly after 1977)
- US embassies and democratic aid
- More details here: Appendix 3

4.3 Middle East and Latin America

Should the US “leave” the Middle East? Why?
How should the US design its foreign policy toward Latin America? Under your proposed strategy, how important is democracy promotion? Why?

4.4 National interests

From the US National Security Strategy 2022

“Our strategy is rooted in our national interests: to protect the security of the American people; to expand economic prosperity and opportunity; and to realize and defend the democratic values at the heart of the American way of life.”