POL 361 International Organization Assignment

Topic: Assess Trump’s arguments about America’s trade deals. Is he right to threaten to withdraw
from the WTO?
Background: Trump campaigned on a promise to restore American manufacturing, create jobs,
and balance the trade deficit. To that end, he’s pursued a strategy of “America First” economic
nationalism. His strategy includes imposing new tariffs and scrapping/renegotiating America’s
free trade agreements.

POL 361 International Organization Assignment
A target of heavy criticism is the World Trade Organization, which Trump argues treats the US
unfairly. Trump has questioned the WTO’s legal authority, saying that he will not honor trade
dispute rulings against the US. The White House has also repeatedly threatened to withdraw from
the WTO all together.
Economists have criticized this strategy for a variety of reasons. Not least, they argue that the US
benefits from WTO membership – an organization that America helped build.
Assignment: Read Trump’s statements about the WTO and some of the many responses to him.
Develop an argument about whether you think the WTO is a bad deal for the United States.
You can focus on dispute settlement, which is the most common thing the White House cites as
unfair. However, you are also free to pick any trade-related topics that Trump has mentioned.
Make your argument clear and concise. Include a straightforward thesis statement. It’s OK to just
take one side on the issue. Support your position with examples.
Requirements: Have a clear thesis statement in your first paragraph. Be clear and simple in your
language. Use active voice. Support your argument with relevant evidence from the mission and
conflict.

POL 361 International Organization Assignment
Your paper must fall into the allowed world length (1,200-1,400 words). Papers outside this length
will lose 10%.
Papers are due on November 5th at 5:00 PM via D2L. Late papers will lose 10% per day, starting
after 5 PM.
Citations: You must cite your sources. You can either use parenthetical citations with a
bibliography or you can simply hotlink in the text to the resources you use if they are online. If
you include a bibliography, that does not count toward the word length.
Some resources on peacekeeping to get you started:
http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/issues/
https://www.globalpolicy.org/security-council/peacekeeping.html
Berdal, Mats and David Ucko. “The Use of Force in UN Peacekeeping Operations.”
United Nations University. “Challenges to Peacekeeping in the 21st Century.”

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