GOVT 395

Essay Topics

Professor Charles King, School of Foreign Service and Department of Government

In this course, undergraduate students may choose to write either a series of short essays or a longer research paper. If you wish to do essays, please choose your topics from this list and complete the essays in accordance with the guidelines given on the syllabus.

Essay One

1. Read and provide a thorough critique of one book on the “Recommended” list under Part I.

2. Is "the Balkans" a useful regional label?

3. Does history matter in understanding contemporary Balkan politics?

Essay Two

1. Is there a "Communist legacy" in southeastern Europe?

2. States in eastern Europe are said to be “in transition.” How will we know when the transition is over?

3. Do ethnic groups have “collective rights?”

Essay Three

1. What caused the break-up of Yugoslavia?

2. Read and review the memoirs of David Owen, Warren Zimmerman or Richard Holbrooke. What does the experience of these figures reveal about the complexities of Yugoslavia’s demise?

3. Choose a contemporary political issue in the Balkans that you feel is not covered sufficiently on the syllabus. What are its main dimensions? Why is it important?