HIST 355 C Final Exam: Due in class on Wednesday, May 16, 2:30pm

The Final Exam will be a take home exam of 8 pages or so and will be due our last class meeting. It will assess your knowledge and thinking skills based on the readings and lectures that we have encountered over the course of the semester, with an emphasis on the last half of the semester. You will be required to base your final predominantly on readings, resources and lectures from the class (and be able to cite these).

Choose ONE of the possibilities below to write on.

1.Iran Briefing: In three weeks Secretary of State Condaleeza Rice will be attending an international conference on Iraq at which representatives of the governments of Syria and Iran are likely to be present. Many U.S. allies, while opposing Iran's nuclear ambitions, are convinced that Washington cannot solve the nuclear dispute with Iran unless it is open to discussing the broader range of U.S.-Iranian relations. In the spring of 2003 Iran proposed a "Grand Bargain" with the U.S. to resolve its outstanding disputes with Washington, and discussion over the last 4 years has gone back and forth over whether it represents a way forward.

Your task, should you choose to accept it, is to draft a historical briefing paper that outlines US-Iranian relations from the late 1970s to the eve of the Iraq war (spring 2003), assesses U.S. policy (was it wise, productive, consistent?) and recommend, based on this history, whether or not the U.S. should accept this proposed "grand bargain" as the basis for a settlement of our disagreements with Iran. More documents will be posted soon.

2. US and the Arab Peace Proposal: At the same meeting, Secretary of State Rice will be talking with Arab heads of state, many of whom will be pressing the U.S. to state publicly whether or not it should support a different approach to the Arab-Israeli conflict. Among the recent proposals are the Arab League Peace Proposal first made in Beirut in March 2002 and outlining their views on a two-state settlement with Israel, and the so-called Geneva Accord, a proposal launched by prominent Israeli and Palestinian figures and outlining a comprehensive settlement. Again, debate over these proposals has been fierce, as it represents a siginificant departure from the so-called U.S.-sponsored Road Map to peace (widely recognized to be in tatters).

Your task, should you choose to accept it, is to draft a historical briefing paper that outlines the US role in the so-called Arab Israeli peace process from 1967 to 2003 or so, assesses the wisdom (or lack thereof) and success (or lack thereog) and recommend, based on this history, whether or not the U.S. should accept either the Arab League Peace Proposal or the Geneva Accord as a basis for a settlement, or continue with its support for the Road Map. You should consider the impact of the U.S. position (and its history) on the Arab world, Israel, and Palestinians. You should also consider whether it is possible (or desirable) for the U.S. to be an "honest broker" given its historically close relationship with Israel. More documents will be posted soon.

3. A New US Doctrine for the Middle East: President Bush is thinking of attending as well (this is shaping up to be an important meeting!) and is considering a radical revision of U.S. policy in the region (or not). He has been reading about the Nixon Doctrine, the Carter Doctrine, the Reagan Doctrine, and his own "Bush Doctrine" and concluded that it might need some revising, or at least some speechifying to defend it.

Your task, should you choose to accept it, is to draft a historical briefing paper that "reads the Bush Doctrine backwards" and assesses whether U.S. policy regarding support for democracy and human rights in the region OR broader American perceptions of Islam and the region (from the 1970s to 2001 or so) meets his stated goals. The questions underlying these include(for the first issue): are American security, economic and political goals in the region compatible with support for demoracy and human rights? For the second issue (perceptions of Islam), are U.S. public and cultural perceptions of Islam and the region compatible with a relationship built on equality, shared values and respect? If you think U.S. policy has met those stated goals, explain why. If not, explain what this history suggests about how we should order our priorities in the region. I'll post some documents pro and con soon.

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These are big picture questions, meant to stimulate you to think broadly about the contemporary relevance of what we have learned and discussed in class. Your papers will therefore be a mix of history and recommendation. I would recommend (assuming an 8pp or so essay) 5pp of history and 3pp of recommendations.

Papers must be NYT Roman Font 12, double spaced, 1" margins, etc. No helvetica 36 with 3" margins.

All excellent papers will demonstrate an active engagement with the readings, online sources, lectures and handouts that we have explored over the course of the semester. They should rely almost entirely on existing class materials and sources provided on the Final Exam website, and they should provide citations for all ideas and facts not your own. There will be an expecially strong temptation to surf the web to find material and analysis from other sources to write this paper, and when making recommendations to simply "borrow" or paraphrase from someone whose views you already share. Please avoid this, for your sake and mine. It is surprisingly easy for me to determine when this is taking place, having familiarized myself with your respective abilities, writing styles, etc. over the course of the semester, and I will be unsentimental and unmerciful with violators. The purpose here is for you to think about what you have learned, not regurgitate the views of those whose positions or beliefs you share.

We will talk more about this in class, and you can email me with questions.