Modern World History

Semester A

The ability to live as an educated global citizen requires people to learn more about the issues and concerns facing the world today.
Government and non-governmental organizations can formulate policy to affect global change.

The United States shaped international relations in the 20th century and will continue to do so throughout the 21st century.
Since the end of the Cold War, U.S. foreign policy objectives have changed to reflect the new world order.

The new global economy has roots in the end of the Cold War when free market economies expanded worldwide
The free market economies of Europe and the United States (along with their financial institutions) expanded worldwide and the influence of democracy and capitalism spread.
Countries and multi-national corporations scramble for profitable trade agreements; the hope is that Global connections and economic interdependence will improve our world.
There are alternative development ideas which come from NGOs, charities, and non-profits which are helping millions in the developing world.

All nations of the world today are greatly affected by immigration issues.
Populations in the world today are migratory because of globalization and ease of movement.
Immigration impacts nations both positively and negatively, and policymakers must take into account both legal and illegal immigration.
Reasons vary as to why peoples move from one country to another including increased economic opportunity and human rights issues.

Science and technology have improved the standard of living for many people in the last 50 years, but the global community has not been able to find solutions to environmental degradation.
The importance of science in improving the quality of life and the well being of our planet cannot be overstated; also important are controversies that arise whenever science challenges belief systems.
Global warming is a global environmental concern that requires worldwide cooperation to reverse its effects.
Many parts of the globe suffer from a lack of fresh water resources so new technologies/innovations are being developed to combat this problem.
The global demand for certain minerals have caused conflict between the country of origin and those countries where demand is high.

The global demand for energy resources has caused a decrease in the supply of oil and a need to create alternative energy sources.
In the past decade there has been a worldwide effort to create a global energy policy, requiring sovereign nations to work together

During the twentieth century hundreds of millions of people were killed in government warfare, genocide, and other forms of political violence.
The defense against terrorism and the securing of U.S. borders has become a major focus of U.S. foreign policy.
International Government Organizations such as the United Nations, the African Union, the European Union, and NATO work with sovereign nations to limit conflict.
Throughout history, most terrorism has been directed towards governments but today terrorism can take the forms of state terrorism or state-sponsored terrorism.
The conventional arms industry is not only big business but also has great political power all over the world. The selling of weapons to developing nations in conflict increases the likelihood of conflict in that country.

Nuclear proliferation is the spread of nuclear weapons technology and knowledge to nations that do not already have such capabilities.
Nuclear weapons continue to be a strategic and military issue in the 21st century with nuclear proliferation being at the center of concern.
The United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has the primary responsibility of operating a safeguards system for nuclear technology.
The nuclear club is small but growing as more and more nations try to acquire nuclear technology.

Human rights evolved from the thinking of Enlightenment philosophers who believed that man had basic human rights which with they were born.
The United Nations set forth the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, which has come to influence many human rights agreements and has become the benchmark for upholding human rights throughout the world.
Human rights include political, civil, economic and social rights.
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch greatly influence policy-making in this area by expanding awareness of human rights abuses.
The United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) form a blueprint to help developing nations improve living conditions, specifically in the area of healthcare and education.