What interest does the United States have in securing peace in the Middle East? How has soft power ...

(Ans. #1)

An ideal response will:
1. Note that the United States has had a long history of working to secure peace in the Middle East, particularly between Israel and its neighbors, partly because the Middle East is an important source of the world's oil and partly because Israel is an ally.
2. Provide an example of how soft power has been used in the Middle East, such as through foreign aid given to countries like Israel and Egypt that are important to national security or through diplomacy like the agreement called The Road Map to Peace that was signed by the United States, Israel, and most Arab nations.
3. Explain that Iran has complicated the situation in recent years with its development of weapons of mass destruction, such as biological weapons that spread disease or poisons, although its development of nuclear weapons has become the primary concern.
4. Discuss how the United States has used both economic sanctions and public diplomacy, through which it has tried to convince the people of Iran that its leader is moving the nation toward war, but as of 2014 neither approach had been very successful.

(Ans. #2)

An ideal response will:
1. Identify at least two goals and contributions, such as foreign aid to which citizens can contribute through giving money or volunteering time, national security to which citizens can contribute by serving in the armed forces, and efforts to improve the nation's reputation to which citizens can contribute by addressing problems at home.
2. Note that citizens can influence priorities given to goals by putting pressure on the federal government and holding elected leaders accountable, perhaps through writing letters to congressional representatives, working with groups that advocate for particular issues or populations, and voting.
3. Discuss how citizens can help shape the foreign policy and defense agenda through active engagement in the political process, such as working with a political party and volunteering time during elections to get out the vote.

(Ans. #3)

An ideal response will:
1. Describe the NSC as a group of high-ranking advisers to the president, including by law the vice president, the secretary of defense, and the secretary of state, and also sometimes including military and intelligence advisers at the request of the president.
2. Identify the primary function of the NSC as coordinating and integrating foreign, military, and economic policies that affect national security.
3. Note that the president is most likely to convene a meeting of the NSC when the president wants foreign policy advice on a particular issue or when a crisis is unfolding.