The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century

Find an issue in your own community in which globalization or the tools of a flat world played a role. Explain how globalization or the tools of a flat world contributed to this issue. Was there any controversy about the issue like the one in Indiana described in Chapter 4? If so, how was it resolved? 

This book was almost a decade old when the 2016 United States presidential election took place. Analyze that election in terms of the book. What role did the themes discussed in the book play? Look particularly at Part 2, “America and the Flat World.” Do you think America followed Friedman’s suggestions for coping with a flat world? How did this influence the election? Provide evidence to back up your conclusions. 

From Brexit to the renegotiating of NAFTA to President Trump’s trade war with China, free trade has been under attack in recent years. Friedman argues in this book (particularly in Chapter 5) that free trade is good for America and all nations. Is he wrong? Explain why free trade has recently hit a speedbump and whether or not you think it is warranted. Be sure to back up your argument with evidence.