Monday marks the final faceoff between President Barack Obama and Republican nominee Gov. Mitt Romney before the upcoming November election.

This debate will primarily focus on foreign policy and which direction each presidential hopeful will steer developing relations with countries such as China, Israel, Libya, Iran and Afghanistan, The New York Times reported on Oct. 21.

Bob Schieffer of CBS News will be the moderator for the final debate.

Previous debate topics touched on foreign policy, but focused more on internal issues, such as the Keystone Pipeline, education, budgeting and deficit control, and social issues.

Topics will include the continuing war in Afghanistan, the Iranian nuclear crisis and how the United States is going to manage the rise of China, The New York Times reported.

Most of the debate will focus on the Arab uprisings, how terrorist attacks have changed since 9/11 and how each candidate plans to deal with these changes, The New York Times reported.

The attack that killed American ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans in Benghazi, Libya, will again be a major topic of discussion, The New York Times reported.

Some Syracuse University students will be watching the debate to see how the candidates’ positions will affect younger Americans.

Katrina Bartocillo, a freshman broadcast and digital journalism major, said she wants answers from the presidential candidates, especially Romney.

“I want to see the real system,” she said. “I just want to know how Romney will help me as a woman. He has avoided all serious talk on his true stances. I understand his foreign policy; I just want answers that directly affect me.”

While Bartocillo is more focused on internal issues, others are especially anxious for this debate to see what each candidate has to say on foreign policy.

Audrey Cilento, a freshman writing and rhetoric major, is mostly concerned about the state of the economy and wants to know what approach the candidates plan to take with China.

“I need to know the full plans; I want to know step by step who is going to take a firmer stance on China subsidizing its auto industry,” she said. “I need to know who is going to help the economy.”

Published on October 22, 2012 at 3:01 am

Contact Erin: erkelly@syr.edu