Volu m e I - Purdue University Calumet

level. Further, the geographic structure of the country - two separate land areas essentially divided by
ethnicity - lends itself to natural divisions. The Bosniaks and Croats share land, while the Serbs have an
essentially ethnically homogeneous land area. Each of these factors, which revolve around ethnic identity
issues, likely compromises the creation of concerted and coordinated efforts to improve the economy of
Bosnia. Given the current suboptimal economic picture, one must determine which the Bosnians would place
as their top priority.
As an example of the hypothesis that economics will ultimately trump ethnicity in Bosnia, let us
examine the case of Milorad Dodik. Dodik is the fiery former prime minister and current president of the
Republika of Srpska. His chief political weapon is provocative rhetoric directed at the rest of the world stating
that the Republika Srpska wishes to leave Bosnia-Herzegovina and join Serbia. Simultaneously, however, he is
making an active effort to ensure that the European Union accession process moves forward by accepting and
complying with accession requirements. Thus, Dodik gives evidence of a case where economics trumps
ethnic identity. He plays the ethnic identity "card" for purposes of re-election but appears to clearly
understand the economic realities as well. All parties involved in Bosnia's government seem to embrace two
things: (1) any hope of economic prosperity lies with joining the European Union and (2) the only way for
Bosnia to join the European Union is to remain united.
The foreign policy issues at hand for the United States here are obvious. The United States, as the
primary instigator of the Dayton Peace process, has the responsibility to ensure that the country of
Bosnia-Herzegovina is rebuilt economically and thus positioned for continued economic growth. We
must ensure that Bosnia has the possibility for an economically prosperous future that will enable it to
support its citizenry.
American Partnerships with European Organizations
The Europeans confidently asserted that they could and would handle the conflict in the former
Yugoslavia. Given that, the United States was originally content to take a back seat role. Over time, however,
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