Instructions:
Goal: Use data from electronic databases and write a research paper on how the American public views
foreign countries. Period to cover: from 2007 to 2017. You must choose six countries (to find
information and polls about): China, Russia, Canada, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Iran. (You may replace
any two countries from the list by any two countries of your choice).
The following sites can be helpful:
Roper foundation (available through electronic databases at GMU),
and http://pollcats.net/ ,
Q) What to find and analyze data:
1) Number of polls about each country (on the list) and the years when these polls were taken. Which
country or countries did attract most and least attention from pollsters? (2 points)
2) What types of issues or events did these polls cover? (For example, wars, conflicts, negotiations, local
events, or just general topics related to perception of other countries, nations, or their governments).
Provide empirical evidence. Why did these tendencies, in your opinion, occur? (2 points)
3) Identify general trends in the survey’s responses. Have opinions been predominantly neutral, positive, or
negative? Were they interventionist, internationalist, or isolationist? (Use class materials or ask your
professor for additional information on interventionism, internationalism, and isolationism). (3 points)
4) Make your overall conclusion about the surveys you have found. What did you learn from the data? What
was the main focus of attention (maybe several?) of the American public during a 10-year period? How
did Americans see these countries in general? (see class notes) (3 points).
Suggested length: 2,500 words
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How to display references in your paper
• For a book: indicate author’s name, year of publication, book title, city of publication, and publisher. Example: John
Johnson (2007). How to Lobby Foreign Governments. New York: New Publishers
• For an article: include author’s name, year of publication, article title, journal number, and month of publication, and
article pages. Example: Roberta Robertson and Bill Hope (2003). On using eavesdropping. “Journal of Modern
Intelligence”, 28, June, 45-50.
• For a website: include the whole address of the site. Example: http://references4u.com
All work submitted to fulfill course requirements is to be solely the product of the individual(s) whose name(s) appears on it.
Except with permission of the instructor, no recourse is to be had to projects, papers, lab reports or any other written work
previously prepared by another student, and except with permission of the instructor no paper or work of any type submitted in
partial fulfillment of the requirements of another course may be used a second time to satisfy a requirement of any course in the
Department of Public and International Affairs. No assistance is to be obtained from commercial organizations, which sell or
lease research help or written papers. With respect to all written work appropriate, proper footnotes and attribution are required.