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REQUIREMENT 3

Read through pages 31-45 in the merit badge book and use the information below to complete requirement 3 on the worksheet.

 
Do the following:


3.a. Pick a current world event. In relation to this world event, discuss with your counselor how a country's national interest and its relationship with other countries might affect areas such as its security, its economy, its values, and the health of its citizens.

To do this, you must first consider what is meant by "national interest." Read the brief summery of “National Interest” from Wikipedia, which provides a general discussion of the idea. "National interest" involves much more than military strength, is different for different countries, and can change over time.

Second, consider how the national interest is defined specifically by the U.S. government. Skim through the list and go to several of the links on the U.S. State Department’s International Topics and Issues web page. Also read at least the opening “Overview” of Foreign Aid in the National Interest, published by the U.S. Agency for International Development. These will give you a strong sense of the types of issues and concerns the U.S. government sees as making up the national interest.

Third, consider how national interest is related to security, economy, values, and health. To do this, read through several of the specific topics raised in the U.S. State Department’s International Topics and Issues, cites above:

    Security and National Interest:
    see “Counter-Terrorism” and “Weapons of Mass Destruction”.

    Economy and the National Interest:
    see “Labor” and “Sustainable Development”.

    Values and the National Interest:
    see “Democracy”, “Human Rights”, and “Religious Freedom”.

    Health and National Interest:
    see: Avian Influenza and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation

 

3.b. Select a foreign country and discuss with your counselor how its geography, natural resources, and and climate influence its economy and its global partnerships with other countries.

You can use this World Map, which lets you zoom in on each region.

After you selecting a country to consider, you can get information from the CIA Factbook, BBC Country Profiles, Geography.org: Countries of the World, and Infoplease: Countries of the World.

Example: Geographically, Saudi Arabia is in a very volatile region of the world, with many regional conflicts. In terms of natural resources, it has tremendous oil wealth and, from this, global influence. And, finally, its desert climate limits water resources and the population that can be sustained. Given all this, Saudi Arabia has a national interest in maintaining good relations with the United States, the biggest consumer of its oil. At the same time, it has a national interest in checking Iranian influence, a neighboring country with a much larger population and military forces, and which could be a real competitor for regional influence.