John G. Diefenbaker's Foreign Policy Towards Latin America

Background and importance of Diefenbaker's foreign policy towards Latin America

Topic:

John G. Diefenbaker was Prime Minister from 1957 until 1963 and guided Canada through some of its most difficult challenges in international affairs.  He was one of the principle proponents of South Africa’s expulsion from the Commonwealth because of its policy of apartheid and he maintained relations with Cuba despite the victory of Fidel Castro and pressure from the United States.  

He was also an avowed opponent of communism and the Soviet Union and a supporter of the West in the Cold War which served to make his refusal to cut times with Cuba and his hesitation during the Cuban Missile Crisis appear to be contractions. 

 In fact, there were many apparent contractions and U-turns in his foreign policies. He was, in short, one of Canada’s most controversial Prime Ministers and yet paradoxically, he is one of the least explored leaders in Canadian history. This lack of examination has extended to include his foreign policies, particular his foreign policies towards Latin America.

Thesis: Diefenbaker attempted to increase Canada’s political and economic ties to Latin America through personal diplomacy, trade missions and economic treaties.

The proposal should be approximately 150-250 words and include a paragraph describing your topic. This paragraph is so that I can get a sample of your writing and I just want you to write a broad overview of your topic. In the paragraph(s) you will use citations (footnotes, Chicago Manuel of Style) and have a minimum of two.

As well, the proposal must include a tentative thesis statement, the main points that will be used to support your argument and a list of at least four strong sources. There is a sample proposal in UR Courses in the Assignments section which shows you how your proposal should look. As well, below are a list of potential topics.

Essay Topic List:

• Create your own topic but be sure to check with me.

• Should the Canadian Senate be elected? Why or why not?

• Which system do you think is better, a Parliamentary System or a Presidential system?

• Which voting system do you think is superior, STV, SMP, PR, MMP?

• Which system for selecting Supreme Court Justices do you think is superior, the Canadian or the American?

• Are stronger global governing structures a good thing?

• Examine how an ideology relates to something that you’re interested in. Two examples are, how the Smurfs represent a Stalinist society and how in soccer the English Premier League is a traditionalist (Burkean) organization.

• Examine how democratic an organization is or how strong its democratic institutions are. For example, you could argue that a symphony is not a very democratic organization.

• Argue that Globalization is mostly positive or, alternately, that it is mostly negative. You can also examine whether or not globalization is new or if it is inevitable.

• Examine the ideological components of a political party, for example, the Liberals in Canada or the Republicans in the United States.

• Scrutinize the rise of religion in the political sphere in either Canada or the United States. What effects has it had?