The centerpiece of Republican Democracy is the idea of political representation – the idea that the people elect representatives that will work on their behalf to fulfill the duties of government. The institutions and processes by which the American people elect their representatives vary in the degree to which there are more democratic (something like ballot initiatives for legislation) or more republican (the appointment of Supreme Court justices by the President), with a system like the Electoral college falling somewhere in between. No matter how representatives are selected the idea, at least in theory, is that they will represent the people who elected them. The goal for this paper is to discuss and evaluate political representation in the U.S. when it comes to U.S. Foreign Policy.
Define political representation and discuss what it means in theory for the United States. You should have at least a few citations/sources here and, of course, in each of the following sections as well. (1-2 pages)
How do the U.S. institutions of foreign policy function within this? How are U.S. citizens’ views and/or interests relating to foreign policy “represented” in the current system? Suggestion: Refer to Federalist Paper #10 and its idea of factions in the U.S. – which factions are or are not represented by the Presidency (the main branch for FP)?
Focus on one specific issue area in Foreign Policy – this could focus on one particular country or region – i.e. Puerto Rico, North Korea, the Middle East, etc. – or on a particular issue area – i.e. Nuclear Proliferation, multilateral diplomacy, counterterrorism, etc. – if you are unsure about your topic you can always email, come to office hours, or just ask during section.
What is the current state of U.S. public opinion on this issue? Are there certain interest groups or politicians that are advocating for this position? Is the public uninformed or attentive?
If you were advising President Biden, what suggestions would you make for how to approach foreign policy on this issue – this could come in the form of specific policy recommendations, personnel or institutional changes, or a fundamental re-calibration of policy and politics relating to the issue to better represent the interests and opinions of the U.S. public – and the world.
