Kulturraumstudien USA, Work for Week Seven (May 4-8)

Last week, we had a look at how health insurance operates in the United States. One of the draws for some people to consider joining a branch of the US military is its robust benefits package. For many in the US, it is organization that fosters social mobility. Consider this when watching the video "What is the GI Bill?" and answering the questions that follow:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgtvMceoimU
1. Who signed the GI Bill and when was it signed?
2. What is the official name of the GI Bill?
3. The GI Bill was developed in part to prevent what from happening again?
4. What did the GI Bill cover for WWII veterans?

The GI Bill has become synonymous with the military covering university tuition and this is still a draw for people who otherwise couldn't afford to go.

Develop a hypothesis in response to the question "Who joins the US military?" (consider gender, ethnicity, income levels, and home state in your response) before looking at the article below:
https://www.cfr.org/article/demographics-us-military
Where was your hypothesis confirmed? Where was your prediction off?

Watch the video below in order to gain some context concerning a primary research question: How did the US become a superpower?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BShvYeyMm_Y&t=1s
1. What percentage of global military spending does the US spend?
2. Which efforts by William H. Seward (US Secretary of State under Lincoln and Johnson) were blocked by Congress?
3. Why was 1898 a turning point for the US in terms of expansionism?
4. What was the US' most ambitious foreign policy initiative in the early 20th century? What was Congress' reaction?
5. What year did the US enter WWII and why?
6. What was the Bretton Woods Conference and what was it purpose? What resulted from the Conference?
7. Why was NATO formed?
8. What is the policy of containment?
9. Name some examples of US interference in countries' regimes.
10. How has Trump's rhetoric on US military presence diverged from the status quo?

Now watch the following in order to answer two other fundamental questions: Where does the US have its military bases and why does it still have so many?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gU8rQWh_qtc
1. How military bases does the US have?
2. When did most military bases emerge around the world?
3. How much do military bases cost to maintain?
4. What role do military bases play in a US global strategy?

You can see where US bases are located on this interactive map: 
https://www.military.com/base-guide/browse-by-location

In seeking to understand how today's voluntary military works, it's important to know how drafts have operated in the past in the US. Start with the Selective Service Act and answer the questions below: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCwlFHJ4lJk
1. Why does this act bear this name in particular?
2. How did the Selective Service Act make conscription more equitable?
3. Who controls the draft?
4. How many Americans were drafted for WWI?

Even today, all male US citizens must register for the Selective Service when they reach the age of 18. This is an important gender rights issue, because in spite of the armed forces opening up to allow women into most areas, it is still only men who must register for the Selective Service.

The Selective Service (or the draft/conscription) was last employed during the Vietnam War. Watch the video below to see how this operated and answer the questions that follow:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkJH6sapQMA
1. How did the draft lottery for the Vietnam War operate?
2. Why did statisticians cry foul with regards to the system?
3. When did the draft end?

How do US armed forces recruit for a voluntary military today? Watch the video and answer the questions below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrHQyjCzmOc
1. Why are recruiter having difficulty finding new recruits for the US military?
2. How are recruiters use social media to recruit?
3. In what way has the US military relaxed standards in recent years for new recruits?
4. What are waivers in a recruiting context and what role do they play in recruitment for the US military?

The military has played and still plays an iconic role in US cinema and, therefore, US collective consciousness and imagination. The following are two iconic monologues from classic films: Patton (1970, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, who also directed The Godfather and Apocalypse Now) and A Few Good Men (1992, directed by Rob Reiner). Watch the monologues and answer the question: how are these scenes a product of their times (e.g. why make a film about a WWII general in 1970)?
Patton
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sv9XNFpRdhg&t=4s
You Can't Handle the Truth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FnO3igOkOk

On Monday, May 18th from 15:00-16:00, I will be hosting a Zoom meeting for our group. The focus of the meeting will be strategies for responding to the short-answer questions on our exam. (Attending the meeting is not a requirement and attendance will not be taken.) You can access the meeting on that date using the following information:
Meeting ID: 897-6554-7579, Password: 3e1fdF

Have a lovely project week! (There will be no blog post on May 11th. The next post will be uploaded on May 18th.)