Research Paper on:
NATO and Nation Membership

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
core countries in place, and some suggest that certain nations call the shots, the truth is that smaller nations want to get on the band wagon. They want the prestige.  They want the protection. Enlargement is characteristic of NATOs recent transformation and while growth in the size of the alliance has evolved, the success or failure of the organizations extension  eastward will be judged by political criteria (Nelson & Szayna, 1998) . Political considerations are in fact quite critical for aspiring members (1998). Consolidating free-market democracies as well as integrating  countries held forcibly within the Soviet bloc are political challenges on the continent (1998). NATO had in fact stepped up to meet the challenges, but its ultimate success will  depend on actually completing them (1998). NATO invested in its own future and in the entire continents political prospects (1998). However, since admitting a few more members, new challenges arose.  In more recent times, a host of countries want to get on board the NATO train. In fact, the emissaries of ten former Communist countries have forged a campaign to  join NATO at the alliances summit in Prague during the fall (Friedberg, 2002). Even as they gathered in Europe, it was clear to them that the road to Prague  "runs through Washington" (2002, p.634). What does that mean? Although NATO is made up of an international community, many believe that the true power lies with the United States,  and then with Britain as a close second. This idea has created tension. Also, although NATO is well known for its peace keeping missions, it does not hesitate to use  deadly force. The Kosovo situation a few years back provides an example of what types of situations NATO finds itself in. There are critics of the world powers that seem