There are “Journal” responses sprinkled. Thus, you will be required to respond to EACH of these responses with at least three to four well-written sentences, which demonstrate that you have thought deeply about it.

Journal: Power and Leadership (Evaluate leadership as one of the important constituents of power)

Consider a person whom you think of as a leader; examples could be a family member, a sports figure, or a politician. Describe what gives them the ability to convince others to listen to them and do what they ask.

Journal: Great Powers (Examine factors that influence the rise and fall of great powers)

Reflect on something that you have read or were taught about a great country or empire that fell from power, such as Rome or the British Empire. Compare them with what you are reading now about the United States, and analyze what that predicts about America’s future.

Journal: Strategies for Power (analyze the case of the United States to highlight strategies adopted by leading powers to maintain their international position)

Consider the concept of “public goods” in the text. Describe what these mean to you and those close to you, and how elements such as security, economic opportunity, and political stability might play roles in your life in the future.

Journal: Challenging American Hegemony (Evaluate the political, economic, and military backdrop that engendered competitive relations between the US and China)

Try to remember items that you’ve purchased in the last year. How many were made in China? Describe whether they were small items or something bigger or more expensive, such as computers, smart phones, or other electronics. How do these items differ from those you have purchased that were made in the USA?

Journal: Emerging Powers and Nonstate Actors (Examine the internal, external, and nonstate threats to America’s leadership)

Think about recent TV news stories that you’ve seen about the American economy; if you don’t watch the network news, do so two or three nights. Analyze whether or not, based on these reports, you feel that you will have more or fewer opportunities over the next five years.