Why might the United States be considered a model for economic, social, and political development in the Americas? Why might some consider the United States to be an outlier?

The United States has considered the Americas its sphere of influence since the early nineteenth century. To what extent have other countries in the Americas, particularly those in Latin America, consented to or resisted this relationship?

• What factors have undermined meaningful regional political cooperation in the Americas? How has this lack of cooperation influenced geopolitics in the region?

Has United States interventionism in Latin America had a net-positive or net-negative effect on the region? Why? What effect does United States foreign policy in the region continue to have on the governments of Latin America today?

• What was the purpose of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Good Neighbor policy? Why did this policy prove short-lived, and what were the consequences? Using information from the readings to support your answer, how might the Americas appear today if the Good Neighbor policy had endured throughout the Cold War?

In your own words, describe the challenges that currently threaten democratic governments in the Americas. To what extent are these challenges shared across the region? To what extent are these challenges present on a country-by-country basis?

• Imagine you are a foreign policy advisor. Choose a country within the Americas and write a 1-2-page memorandum to your national leader on your chosen country’s contemporary political system, being sure to note areas of both confidence and concern.

How does the economic and geopolitical dominance of the United States influence the economies, societies, and political systems of other countries in the Americas? Is China on a path to threatening this dominance? Why or why not? What effects would this shift in power have?

What are the root causes of changing migration patterns in the Americas, particularly the rise of migration from the Northern Triangle to the United States? How has the United States responded? How have other countries in the Americas responded to ongoing migration crises? How do these responses reflect underlying social and political tensions within the Americas?

How have Latin America’s abundant natural resources fueled the region’s prosperity? Alternatively, how have the region’s abundant natural resources fueled instability?

What, in your opinion, are the major challenges facing people and societies in the Americas? To what extent are these challenges shared or experienced differently between Americans of different ages, genders, ethnicities, and geographies?

• How do politics and religion intersect in Latin America? What effects might a closer relationship between the two have on governments and societies in the region? What populations are likely to be most affected by an increased politicization of religion? Why?
• The Americas are home to a robust trade in illicit drugs. How does this trade threaten the region’s security? Given these threats, why might individuals in the region be tempted to take part in the trade?

In your own words, summarize the history of indigenous groups in the Americas. How have national governments addressed indigenous groups in the region over time? To what extent have national governments today resolved inequalities and tensions between indigenous and national populations?

In what ways have cultural exports and celebrations fostered appreciation and connection across diverse populations in the Americas and beyond?

• To what extent could someone describe a singular “American” culture or tradition? What shared characteristics from across the Americas would this culture feature? Why?