Discussion Questions: Again choose one to answer – be sure to meet the minimum requirements MUST BE AT LEAST 500 WORDS, APA FORMAT, AT LEAST 2 REFERENCES

Are authoritarian methods morally compatible with democratic principles and institutions?

Under what  circumstances are authoritarian policies justifiable and necessary, even in democracies with strong constitutional traditions?

The postwar Red Scare investigations in the United States have been labeled by many as “witch hunts.” Were these investigations nevertheless justifiable,      considering the external threat from the Soviet Union?

The British  security services detained hundreds of innocent people and searched the  homes of many thousands of non-IRA members. Considering the threat from      the IRA, were these inconveniences nevertheless justifiable?

Assume for a moment that some security environments justify the use of authoritarian measures by democracies. What kind of “watchdog” checks and balances are needed to ensure that democracies do not move toward permanent authoritarianism?

READINGS

The 9/11 Commission Report, Chpts. 2, 4, 5
Article on  ISIS: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/07/03/world/middleeast/syria-iraq-isis-rogue-state-along-two-rivers.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&modref=HPInteractiveRefer&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news
The following article on religious fundamentalism and modernity should also be read:
http://nationalinterest.org/article/the-fundamentalists-4891
Read the following article on two key players in the history of the Muslim Brotherhood: https://www.mtholyoke.edu/~orr20l/classweb/worldpolitics116/pages/leaders.html