The curriculum The U.S. Role in a Changing World helps students reflect on global changes, assess national priorities, and decide for themselves the role the United States should play in the world today.

Videos for Readings: The videos below follow the outline of the printed curriculum unit. The headings correspond to the headings in the student readings.

Videos for Lessons accompany lessons in the teacher's guide of the printed curriculum unit.

Scholars Online: Videos for Readings

The U.S. Role in a Changing World

Scholars

Gleason
Abbott (Tom) Gleason
Brown University

garrison
Mark Garrison
Brown University


P. Terrence Hopmann
Brown University


Mark Blyth
Brown University


Steven Hamburg
Watson Institute


Simone Pulver
Watson Institute

lagos
Ricardo Lagos
Former President, Chile


Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro
Brown University


Susan Allee
United Nations

Jarat Chopra
Jarat Chopra
Brown University

Catherine Lutz
Catherine Lutz
Brown University

Charles Tripp
Charles Tripp
University of London

Michael Bhatia
Michael Bhatia
Watson Institute

Jennifer Fluri
Jennifer Fluri
Dartmouth College


David B. Edwards
Williams College


Jo-Anne Hart
Lesley University


Thomas Nichols
US Naval War College


Joseph Cirincione
Center for American Progress


Lincoln Chafee
Former US Senator

Dennis Davis
Dennis Davis
High Court of South Africa

Benjamin Hopkins
Benjamin Hopkins
George Washington University

Introduction: A Changing World

Part I: Considering the United States’ Changing Role

The Spanish-American War: Coming to Grips with Empire

World War I: Making the World Safe for Democracy

Why was World War I a catastrophe? [Tom Gleason - 1:00]

Post World War II: Confronting the Soviet Challenge

What was the Cold War? [Mark Garrison - 2:07]

Part II: A Changing World   

How did the end of the Cold War change international relations? [P. Terrence Hopmann - 1:21]

What is globalization? [P. Terrence Hopmann - 1:48]

Economy

What is "free" trade? [Mark Blyth - 1:45]

Do some countries benefit more from trade than others? [Mark Blyth - 1:51]

What are the benefits of free trade? [Mark Blyth - 1:45]

What are the negative effects of free trade? [Mark Blyth - 2:16]

Human Health and the Environment

What is climate change? [Steven Hamburg - 0:55]

What are some of the consequences of climate change? [Steven Hamburg - 0:50]

How do we know that climate change is getting worse? [Steven Hamburg - 1:22]

What are other pressing global environmental problems? [Steven Hamburg - 1:31]

What is the North-South divide? [Simone Pulver - 1:03]

What are the disagreements between the North and South? [Simone Pulver - 1:30]

International Relations

What is your perspective on the priorities and structure of the United Nations? [Ricardo Lagos - 1:30]

Why are there permanent seats in the UN Security Council? [Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro - 1:05]

Is the UN a democratic organization? [Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro - 1:25]

Culture and Values 

What are human rights? [Susan Allee - 2:12]

How has the human rights movement evolved to include social, economic, and cultural rights? [Dennis Davis - 2:15]

What is the U.S. track record on human rights? [Dennis Davis - 3:09]

Part III: Conflict and Military Security

After the Cold War

How did the U.S. relationship with the UN change after the Cold War? [P. Terrence Hopmann - 2:23]

How was the use of military force to protect civilians in northern Iraq in 1991 significant? [Jarat Chopra - 1:25]

How did NATO's intervention in Bosnia set a precedent? [Susan Allee - 1:23]

What is the UN authorized to do when human rights are violated? [Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro - 1:44]

Why does the United States have military bases abroad? [Catherine Lutz - 1:06]

The Bush Doctrine

What are unilateralism, bilateralism, and multilateralism? [P. Terrence Hopmann - 0:57]

What are the advantages and disadvantages of multilateralism? [P. Terrence Hopmann - 1:45]

What is the difference between preemptive and preventive war? [Thomas Nichols - 1:10]

What motivated the Bush administration to invade Iraq? [Charles Tripp - 2:15]

What have been the largest costs of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars? [Catherine Lutz - 3:15]

Three Security Issues

Afghanistan and Pakistan

Why are U.S. forces in Afghanistan? [Michael Bhatia - 1:04]

Why should high school students learn about Afghanistan? [Benjamin Hopkins - 3:26]

Why is security an important issue for Afghans? [Jennifer Fluri - 2:04]

Why is there an insurgency in Afghanistan? [David Edwards - 3:03]

Terrorism

Can terrorists have legitimate demands? [Thomas Nichols - 2:03]

What is the significance of the death of Osama bin Laden? [David Edwards - 3:51]

How difficult would it be for a terrorist to obtain a nuclear weapon? [Joseph Cirincione - 1:59]

Nuclear Weapons

What problems do we face from nuclear weapons? [Thomas Nichols - 1:57]

The Iranian government says that it is producing nuclear fuel for energy, not weapons. What is the difference between producing nuclear energy and producing nuclear weapons? [Joseph Cirincione - 3:53]

What are the consequences in Asia of North Korea’s nuclear weapons program? [Joseph Cirincione - 2:01]

Why might Iran want nuclear weapons? [Jo-Anne Hart - 1:49]

Options

How does discussion in the Senate affect U.S. foreign policy? [Lincoln Chafee - 1:10]