What Voters Need to Know: Implications for International Policy

Election Poster

Panel Discussion with Dickinson Faculty

Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Stern Center, Great Room – 7:00 p.m.

A panel of Dickinson College faculty will examine United States foreign relations to better understand the policy environment Senators Barack Obama or John McCain will face after the elections. Students representatives from College Democrats and College Republicans will ask questions of the panelists prior to a general question and answer session.

Topical Background
A country’s foreign policy is a set of guidelines which outline how the country will interact with other state and non-state actors economically, politically, socially and militarily. In our globalized world, an understanding of the important foreign policy issues in a presidential election is essential. Issues of this type that have been repeatedly discussed in the 2008 presidential race include the United States’ military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan, terrorism, nuclear weapons proliferation, energy independence and global climate change, and the rise of new powers such as China and a resurgent Russia. When these security issues are combined with questions of diplomacy, such as U.S. relations with the United Nations (UN), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union (EU), international trade policy, foreign aid, and the perception of America’s image abroad, the purpose of tonight’s event becomes clear: it is not easy to become an educated voter. A panel of Dickinson College faculty will explore these issues to provide a deeper understanding of the challenges facing the next U.S. president.

Panelists:
Neil Diamant – Professor of Political Science and Asian Law and Society
Ed Webb – Professor of Political Science and International Studies
Tony Williams – Professor of Political Science
Kristine Mitchell – Professor of Political Science and International Studies
Neil Leary – Director of the Center for Environmental and Sustainability Education
Russ Bova – Moderator – Professor of Political Science and International Studies