Politics 110: Researching for Debate
Topic 1 Topic 2 Topic 3 Topic 4 Topic 5General Resources/Strategies
Reference Resources
Opposing Viewpoints and Taking Sides
ask reference librarian for assistance
Databases (for articles)
Lexis Nexis (includes The New York Times and The Economist)
Specific Journals/Newspapers
| Progressive/Liberal | Leaning Left | Conservative | Leaning Right |
| American Prospect | Atlantic Monthly | American Spectator | |
| Dissent | Harper's | Commentary | |
| In These Times | New Republic | Human Events | |
| Mother Jones | New York Review of Books (on m'film) | Modern Age | |
| Nation | New Yorker | National Review | |
| New Internationalist | New American | ||
| The Progressive | Weekly Standard | ||
| Washington Monthly | Washington Times |
Think Tanks
Websites and Blogs
Salon's Blog Report (you may have to watch at short ad first)
Sources for Specific Topics
Topic 1: The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict
"In exercising its legitimate right to self-defense, Israel has been justified in taking the actions that it has vis-à-vis the Palestinians and Lebanon during the past 40 years (i.e. since the Six-Day War)."
Possible Search Terms
Arab-Israeli conflict, Jewish-Arab relations, Middle-East peace process
Reference and Book Resources
The Palestinians and the Disputed Territories REF DS 119.7 P.288354 2004The Arab-Israeli Conflict REF DS 119.76 A725 2004
The Middle East and South Asia REF DS 44. C55 2006
The Middle East: a Political Dictionary REF DS 61 .Z58
Books available through I-Share (request using your ID's14 digit barcode number)
Declaration of principles on interim self-government arrangements / by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Subject search on: Arab-Israeli conflict
Additional Journals
CommentaryJournal of Democracy, available in Project Muse
Policy Review
Alternatives
Websites, Think Tanks, Organizations
Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies Middle East links (from Tel Aviv University)BESA: Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies
Carnegie Endowment for World Peace
United States Institute of Peace
The White House (also the administration's Victory in Iraq)
Hoover Institution
U.S. State Department
National Endowment for Democracy
Program on International Policy Attitudes
Coalition for a Realistic Foreign Policy
Topic 2: Globalization and Economic Development
"Globalization is a fancy word for 'the rich get richer.' It is not helping the mass of people in Third World countries, or for that matter, average people in the rich countries."
Possible Search Terms
globalization, free trade, demogratic globalization, marketization, fair trade, global citizens movement, sustainable development
hint: if you are searching British publications such as The Economist, the spelling is: globalisation
Reference and Book Resources
World Economic Outlook REF HC10 .W7979
Globalization and antiglobalization : dynamics of change in the new world order, edited by Henry Veltmeyer
Globalization, growth, and poverty : building an inclusive world economy by the World Bank
Books available through I-Share (request using your ID's14 digit barcode number)
The new political economy of development : globalization, imperialism, hegemony by Ray Kiely
A brief history of globalization by Alex MacGillivray
In defense of global capitalism by Johan Norberg
Additional Journals
Websites, Think Tanks, Organizations
If you do look at Wikipedia's globalization page, make sure you also look at its anti-globalization page. Note that both pages may not meet Wikipedia's quality standards.
Non Partisan:
Generally pro:
World Trade Organization (WTO)
World Bank's Globalization page
International Monetary Fund (IMF) globalization page
Con:
Parody of WTO site
Topic 3: Energy and Environmental Security
"The U.S. government should launch a major effort, comparable to the Marshall Plan or the Apollo Moon project, to make the U.S. independent of foreign energy sources within the next two decades."
Possible Search Terms
energy independence, alternative energy, alternative fuels, renewable resources, energy policy, energy development, foreign oil
Reference and Book Resources
Foreign oil dependence, edited by James Haley. Presents topic as a series of yes/no debates. REF HD9566 .F67 2004
Energy independence: hearing before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, on discussing the goal of energy independence, March 7, 2006. Gov Doc Y 4.EN 2:S.HRG.109-412
Consumer perspectives on energy policy: hearing before the Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives, May 15, 2001 Gov Doc Y 4.C 73/8:107-14
Energy outlook 2006: hearing before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, to discuss the Energy Information Administration’s 2006 annual energy outlook on trends and issues affecting the United States’ energy market, February 16, 2006. Gov Doc Y 4.EN 2:S.HRG.109-362
Books available through I-Share (request using your ID's14 digit barcode number)
Alternative energy : political, economic, and social feasibility, by Christopher A. Simon
Lives per gallon : the true cost of our oil addiction, by Terry Tamminen
Additional Journals and Articles
"Pump Dreams: Is Energy Independence an Impossible Dream?" by John Cassidy. New Yorker October 11, 2004
Websites, Think Tanks, Organizations
Global Exchange: A 10-Step Program to Energy Independence
Energy Independence 2020 (from Senate Democrats)
Foreign Policy Research Institute: The End of Cheap Oil
White House page on energy security
"History will show the Bush Administration's response to the jihadist attack of 9/11 -- namely, to remove Saddam Hussein from power and to promote democracy in Iraq - has been, on balance, justified and effective."
Possible Search Terms
war on terror, war on terrorism, Persian Gulf War, Operation Enduring Freedom, Saddam Hussein, Iraq, Bush doctrineBooks available through I-Share (request using your ID's14 digit barcode number)
Far too many to list -- start with the subject searches listed above or consult a librarian
Additional Journals and Articles
"The Bush Doctrine and War with Iraq " by Jeffrey Record. Parameters: the U.S. Army War College Quarterly, Spring 2003.
Websites, Think Tanks, Organizations
Pro:
"Renewal in Iraq" (White House policy page)Strategic Studies Institute of the U.S. Army War College
Americans for Victory over Terrorism
Generally Con:
Iraq Study Group Report (hosted by Future of the Book, includes responses by experts)Harper's Magazine (many anti-Iraq articles and editorials, including this one by former editor Lewis Lapham from September 2006)
Anti-War
"China's rise is good not only for the Chinese; it's good for the world."
Possible Search Terms
China commerical policy; China foreign economic relations; globalization China;
Reference and Book Resources
China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Inc. by Willem van Kemenade DS706 .K464 1998
China and the challenge of economic globalization : the impact of WTO membership, edited by Hung-Gay Fung, Changhong Pei, and Kevin H. Zhang HF3836.5 .C4583 2006
The emergence of China throughout Asia: security and economic consequences for the United States : hearing before the Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs of the Committee on Foreign Relations, United States Senate June 7, 2005 Gov Doc Y 4.F 76/2:S.HRG.109-239 or online
Chinese barriers to trade : does China play fair? : joint hearing before the Subcommittee on Rural Enterprises, Agriculture & Technology and Subcommittee on Tax, Finance and Exports of the Committee on Small Business, House of Representatives, July 20, 2006 Gov Doc Y 4.SM 1:109-61 or online
China and the future of globalization : hearings before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, May 19 and 20, 2005 Gov Doc Y 3.2:C 44/G 51/2 and online
Chinese influence on U.S. foreign policy through U.S. educational institutions, multilateral organizations and corporate America : hearing before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the Committee on International Relations, House of Representatives, February 14, 2006 Gov Doc Y 4.IN 8/16:C 44/24 or online
China’s influence in Africa : hearing before the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights, and International Operations of the Committee on International Relations, July 28, 2005 Gov Doc Y 4.IN 8/16:C 44/23 or online
Challenge or opportunity? : China’s role in Latin America : hearing before the Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps, and Narcotics Affairs of the Committee on Foreign Relations, September 20, 2005 Gov Docs Y 4.F 76/2:S.HRG.109-442 or online
Books available through I-Share (request using your ID's14 digit barcode number)
Far too many to list -- start with the subject searches listed above or consult a librarian
Additional Journals and Articles
"The New New World Order," by Daniel W. Drexner. Foreign Affairs March/April 2007
"China's 'Peaceful Rise' to Great Power Status," by Zheng Bijian. Foreign Affairs September/October 2005
Websites, Think Tanks, Organizations
Foreign Policy in Focus page on China
China Leadership Monitor (from Standford University's Hoover Institution)
National Committee on US-China Relations
Political and Economic Introduction to China (British Parliament paper)
Carnegie Endowment's page on China Program
"The Rise of China's Soft Power" from The Wall Street Journal Asia