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Essential question
Why do many world religions have spiritual leaders?As the United States settles into the reality of a Donald Trump presidency following the candidate’s surprising triumph Tuesday, the rest of the world is also coming to terms with what this means for them. One nation which had watched the U.S. election with particular interest was Russia, where the parliament applauded the announcement of Trump’s victory and President Vladimir Putin — a leader Trump has said he admires — called to congratulate the President-elect. Russia’s interest in this election has led to some accusations that Russian hackers were responsible for leaking emails from the Democratic National Committee over the summer to undermine Hillary Clinton’s campaign. Other European leaders have expressed cautious congratulations for Trump, whose comments regarding international affairs over the course of the campaign gave some cause for concern about the future of trade agreements like NATO and the U.S. role in the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis. “We are trying to look at the bright side. Trump has no promises at all for the Syrian people. Before, we had empty promises. So, now it would make us maybe more realistic,” said Wissam Zarqa, a teacher in Aleppo, Syria. Trump has called for a ban on all Muslims immigrating to the U.S. Many comparisons have been made between the U.S. election results and Britain’s exit from the European Union or Brexit, which was approved by British voters in June to the surprise of the international community. Trump supported the decision. The future of the U.S.’s involvement with the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which Trump opposes, will also play a key role in ongoing relations with Asian nations.
Key terms
NATO — the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a military alliance of European and North American democracies founded after World War II to strengthen international ties between member states — especially the United States and Europe — and to serve as a counter-balance to the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact Trans-Pacific Partnership — a multinational trade agreement that would extend restrictive intellectual property laws across the globe and rewrite international rules on its enforcement Brexit — the June 23, 2016 referendum whereby British citizens voted to exit the European UnionWarm up questions ( before watching the video)
- Why were many people surprised by Tuesday's election result?
- Were you surprised by Tuesday's election result? Why or why not?
- Why does the U.S. have a historically tense relationship with Russia?
Cr itical thinking questions ( after watching the video)
- Why is Russia's reaction to Trump's win concerning for some European nations?
- Why are trade deals between nations important to international relations?
- What do you think will be Donald Trump's first act as president?
