Political geography

The following questions should be answered as in essay , each questions should be atleast 700 words.

Essay Question 1:

Harold MacInder discusses the concept of World Islands in his seminal work on the “Heartland of the world” Develop an argument in this essay

that explains what a “world island” is and what are its key features. As the second component of your essay, once you have explained its key

features, provide an example of a world island from modern times (today’s world) and discuss why your example is appropriate by demonstrating

how it has all the features as described by MacInder.

Essay Question 2:

Perception and misperception can often lead to decision-makers taking the wrong course of action leading to war and conflict. Give an example

(select a case for analysis) of how misperception caused state decision-makers to escalate a stand-off that eventually led to a global

international crisis. Justify your argument by referring to the concepts mentioned in the module on perception and misperception as a cause of

geopolitical conflict.

Essay Question 3:

International Institutions and organizations have added rules and structures that have created order to what many international experts have

argued is a system without order or structure. Give an example of an international institution that, in your view, has created rules and

regulations that are followed by almost all states. Demonstrate how your example relates to one of the three conceptual examples of

international institutions in the module/presentation discussed in class.

Essay Question 4:

Discuss in an essay what the factors are that cause the philosophy of “Liberalism” to produce the “democratic peace”, according to our in class

module on Liberalism and political geography, and most importantly, why are they important for geopolitics? As a means to help you in your

discussion, many geopolitical experts argue that liberalism can lead to democratization of countries which reduces the likelihood of democracies

fighting each other. In your view, is this is a correct assessment? Provide an opinion and back it up with concrete examples from the real

world.

Essay Question 5:

State-craft has many tools such as military, cultural, and political tools and they all impact how a state can achieve its goals in the

international arena. Describe the role played by economic tools of state-craft and how these tools have changed by the process of globalization,

if at all, Provide an examples from the real world to help explain your answer.

Essay Question 6:

Saudi Arabia has been leading a coalition of states in fighting a war against Houthi rebels in Yemen. The argument made by Saudi Arabia and its

allies is that the Houthi rebels are backed by Iran. Neighbouring states from the GCC, as well as others, agree with Saudi Arabia and have

joined the fight, arguing that Iran should not be able to acquire influence on the Arabian Peninsula. In this essay you will be required to

write an opinion as to which political geography theoretical approach best describes the collaboration between Saudi Arabia and its allies. In

writing your opinion essay, you must apply the factors of your chosen theoretical to this case as a means to demonstrate that your assessment is

accurate.