Foreign Policy

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Chapter 14 Foreign Policy
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• What is Foreign Policy?
• Definition A nations external goals and
  techniques and strategies used to achieve them.
  
• American foreign policy includes national
  security policy, which is policy designed to
  protect the independence and the political and
  economic integrity of the United States at the
  insistence of the Depts. of State, Defense and
  the National Security Council.

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• Tools of Foreign Policy
• Diplomacy the process by which states carry on
  relations with each other (can also mean settling
  conflicts among nations through peaceful means)
  
• Economic aid assistance to other nations
  through grants, loans or credits to buy the
  assisting nations products
  
• Technical assistance sending individuals with
  expertise in agriculture, engineering or business
  to aid other nations

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• Competing Views of Foreign Policy
• Moral Idealism One theory of how nations act,
  it views all nations as willing to cooperate and
  agree on moral standards for conduct, but this is
  usually unsuccessful.
• Political Realism Sees each nation acting
  principally in its own interest.
  
• We practice a blend of both i.e.
  Most-Favored-Nation.

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• Powers of the President in Making Foreign Policy
• Constitutional Powers (found in Article II)
• solemnly swears to preserve, protect and defend
  the Constitution of the United States
  
• is commander in chief of the military
• can make treaties (which are later ratified by
  the Senate)
  
• can enter into executive agreements. No Senate
  approval needed.
  
• can appoint ambassadors
• can recognize foreign governments
• Informal powers
• has access to information CIA, State, and
  Defense Depts.
  
• is a legislative leader who can influence
  Congresss foreign policy and funding
  
• can influence public opinion command the media
• can commit the nation morally to a course of
  action

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• Other Sources of Foreign Policymaking
• Department of State
• supervises relations with other independent
  nations and with multinational organizations like
  the United Nations
  
• staffs embassies
• power has declined since World War II
• administers foreign aid
• has negative constituents, Americans who oppose
  aspects of U.S. foreign policy
  
• National Security Council (NSC, created in 1947)
• advises the president on policies relating to
  national security
  
• is a rival of influence to the State Dept. today
• provides continuity from one presidential
  administration to the next

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• Other Sources of Foreign Policy (cont.)
• The Intelligence Community Includes government
  organizations involved in information gathering
  about the capabilities and intentions of other
  countries
• Some agencies in the intelligence community
  include
  
• The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
• National Security Agency (NSA)
• Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)
• The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
• The Department of Defense Designed to bring all
  military activities under the jurisdiction of a
  single agency headed by a civil secretary of
  defense.
• has seen size of military significantly reduced
• has seen reductions in civilian employees

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• Major Foreign Policy Themes
• Negative foreign policy during 1700s and 1800s
  (isolationism)
  
• mistrust of Europe
• militarily weak
• shaped by the Monroe Doctrine
• Spanish American War and World War I
• seen as temporary entanglements
• lasted from 1898 - 1918
• followed by a resurgence of isolationism
• The Era of Internationalism
• began with bombing of Pearl Harbor, and United
  States entry into World War II
  
• resulted in significant increases in defense
  spending
  
• emerged from World War II with a strengthened
  economy
  
• controlled nuclear weapons

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• Superpower Relations
• During the Cold War, the United States and the
  Soviet Union never had any direct military
  confrontations, but used client states to carry
  out policies
• one example was the Korean War (1950-53) during
  which American troops intervened when
  communist-backed troops from North Korea invaded
  South Korea.
• Another example was the Vietnam War (1955-75)
  during which the United States supported South
  Vietnamese forces against communist-backed North
  Vietnamese troops.
• The Cuban Missile Crisis was the closest the
  superpowers came to direct confrontation
  
• Détente between the United States and the Soviet
  Union occurred in the late 1960s and early
  1970s, exemplified by the Strategic Arms
  Limitation Treaty (SALT I) in 1972.
• During the 1980s the Reagan administration
  lobbied for the development of the Strategic
  Defense Initiative (SDI or Star Wars), and also
  negotiated significant arms control treaties
• The dissolution of the Soviet Union and the
  developments in Eastern Europe made negotiating
  arms control more difficult, as nuclear weapons
  are now held by a number of sovereign nations,
  rather than one

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• Challenges in World Politics
• Nuclear proliferation
• The war or terrorism
• Regional conflicts Middle East conflict. Eastern
  Europe, Africa,
  
• The global economy
• China MFN status, human rights, WTO, SARS, 2008
  Olympics

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• Hot Links to Selected Internet Resources
• http//www.wadsworth.com/cgi-wadsworth/course_prod
  ucts_wp.pl?fidM2discipline_number20product_isb
  n_issn0534592651
  
• http//www.wadsworth.com/politicalscience
• http//www.un.org
• http//www.iwp.edu
• http//www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/foreign.html