Describe the historical narrative regarding the nation-building process.

• geographical location
• historical background
• demographic statistics
• population
• economic development and resources (natural)
• political situation
• health-related statistics
Good sources for this type of information are the CIA World Factbook, U.S. Department of State, or United States embassy websites for your chosen country.
The questions you should address when writing your final paper are as follows:
1 Describe the historical narrative regarding the nation-building process. What strategies did intellectuals, politicians, businessmen and/or other elites employ in their efforts to construct a modern nation?
2 Did the masses fit within the construct of the nation as constructed by elites? What were the mechanisms employed by the government and the citizenry to incorporate all elements of the population into the nation?
3 Popular culture has often served as a vehicle by which non-elites have transformed the national character of a nation. Describe the development of popular culture in the nation. How does the incorporation of cultural elements into the national identity discourse promote/prohibit homogeneity? Is the nation’s strategy consistent with models discussed in class?
4 What role (if any) does the United States play in the nation-building process? U.S. influence could be political (military intervention, advisement, diplomacy), economic (corporate expansion, aid), or cultural (music, film, dress, the arts, etc.).
5 Has the nation-building process been successful? What factors have contributed to that success? Or failure?