At the end of the semester each student must submit a 10 to 15-page paper on a subject that addresses the core theme of this course, the potential and limitations of diplomacy as a mechanism by which to secure outcomes in international relations. Using the exemplars of the case studies explored over the course of the semester, each student is required to role play as the United States Secretary of State and submit a proposal to the President of the United States in which they offer a diplomatic framework intended to resolve one of the following major flashpoints in contemporary international relations:
1. The Russian invasion of Ukraine
2. The confrontation between China and the U.S. over Taiwan
3. The need to control the proliferation of nuclear weapons
4. The Israeli-Palestinian issue
5. The need to construct a global partnership to combat climate change
6. The need to construct a global partnership to combat terrorism
7. The need to construct a global regime that will define the nature of space exploration, exploitation, militarization and colonization
