Exam 2

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Purdue University *

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Political Science

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Jan 9, 2024

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1. The Cuban Missile Crisis drew the U.S. close to nuclear war. Explain the crisis. Who was involved? How was it resolved? What lessons can be drawn for today? The Cuban missile crisis was a crisis during the cold war and John F Kennedy's presidency. The Soviets and Cuba decided to work out a deal for Cuba to secretly inherit nuclear weapons from the soviets. Fidel Castro was afraid of the US possibly trying to overthrow him after the bay of pigs and thought that he could use the weapons as a deterrent, as well as strengthen the alliance between Cuba and the Soviets. The Soviets and Khrushchev wanted the upper hand on the US during the cold war, and could do this by placing weapons in an allied country near the US mainland. It was eventually resolved as Kennedy and Khrushchev decided that both the US and the Soviets would remove the Nuclear power from both Cuba and Turkey. We can learn that mutually assured destruction is a powerful foreign policy tool, and that doing threatening actions can be detrimental in the possibility of a conflict, especially if those actions are secretive. 2. What changes to U.S. foreign policy occurred due to the Vietnam War? Please explain these changes. During the VIetnam war congress gave President Johnson a “blank check” to use military force to promote democracy in Asia. This was a result of the Gulf of Tonkin resolution. From that point the executive branch had almost sole power as to what the US does abroad. Because of the Gulf of Tonkin congress had very little power as to what the president does with the military, and if war was even needed to be specified for the president to use the military in action. 3. What are the legal justifications for going to war according to the U.N.? Was the Gulf War legal? Why or why not? Going to war is legal if it is in response to an attack and self defense. It is also legal if the Security Council votes to approve the military action. The gulf war was legal because the US was stopping the Iraqi force from illegally occupying and launching an assault on Kuwait, and it was also voted on by the UN that
declaration of war was warranted. Sadam Hussain launched an attack on a peaceful country therefore the war was a proper response. 4. What events led to the U.S. not intervening in the 1994 Rwandan genocide? How did these events impact U.S. decision making in the Rwandan case? Are you willing to risk the lives of U.S. soldiers to prevent this in the future? Why or why not? Before the Rwandan genocide, the US intervended in Somalia, and it was a disaster. Clinton was acting on Bush's decision to send troops before his presidency was over. Clinton was facing pressure from congress and people in the US because lives were lost and it was a failure. The Somolian events de-incentivized Clinton from intervening abroad and he turned a blind eye to the Rwandan events. I am willing to risk US soldiers to prevent a genocide because of the stance of “never again” as well as how many lives that could have possibly been saved if a force would have stopped the slaughter. 5. How do the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) against terrorism relate? Please describe both and the theme linking them together. The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was a blank check for military use in Asia that the congress authorized. It was congress that gave the power to the executive branch. The 2001 AUMF authorized the president to send in the military after the attacks of 9/11. Both of these were authorizations to use the military, despite their differences. However, the 2001 AUMF was an authorization by congress, and congress had the power. The president can use the AUMF as a confirmation to use the military. Both the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and the 2001 AUMF are both about authorization to use the military and the parameters on when and where it can be used.
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