Unifying Concepts

1
Unifying Concepts Competing Themes
2
Concepts Themes.

• Questions
• What are Americas long-term objectives in
  foreign policy?
• What are its more immediate objectives?
• What are the principles underlying US foreign
  policy?
• What are the competing themes that have dominated
  US foreign policy?

3
Concepts Themes.

• US Foreign Policy Mission
• American Sense of Exceptionalism
• Thomas Jefferson
• US is the last best hope of mankind
• US is a barrier against the return of ignorance
  barbarism
• Alexander Hamilton
• American Revolution would cause great impact on
  the Old Continent
• Benjamin Franklin
• US democratic rule offered hope to people still
  under tyranny
• John Adams
• US would emerge as the worlds greatest power.

4
Concepts Themes.

• US Foreign Policy Mission
• American Sense of Mission
• Thomas Jefferson
• Serve as an example
• Truman
• Support maintain freedom
• Eisenhower
• Extend areas of freedom throughout the world
• Clinton
• Promote American pol, eco, social values around
  the world
• Bush
• Defend freedom of people to live fear-free.

5
Concepts Themes.

• US Foreign Policy Mission
• Questions
• Should US serve as a model for others who desire
  democracy freedom?
• Should US act militarily, economically,
  politically to provide others such opportunities?

6
Concepts Themes.

• National Interests
• Goals that states pursue to maximize what is
  selfishly best for their country
• US National InterestsPolicies that advance the
  following are considered serving Americas natl
  interests.
• Power
• Hans Morgenthau Any policy that enhances a
  states power is in its national interest.
• Military security advantage
• Economic strength
• Ideology
• Promote democracy
• Anti-Communism

7
Concepts Themes.

• US National InterestsPolicies that advance the
  following are considered serving Americas natl
  interests.
• Power
• Military security advantage
• Economic strength
• Ideology
• Morality the rule of law
• Human rights
• The International Criminal Court
• Cultural identity
• Individualism
• Diversity

8
Concepts Themes.

• Controversies Issues
• How to define power?
• Hans Morgenthau
• power as anything that enables a state to
  control others
• Supporters
• Policies that enhance US power are in US interest
  should be pursued
• Critics
• Influence rather than control better serves US
  interest
• What kind of military capabilities to aquire
  maintain?

9
Concepts Themes.

• Controversies Issues
• What kind of military capabilities/advantages to
  acquire maintain?
• Should nuclear weapons the central element of
  defense?
• What about other weapons of mass destruction such
  as biological chemical weapons?
• Should it pursue theatre strategic defense
  system?
• What would be an effective defense strategy
  against stateless terrorist groups?
• How to advance US economic power?
• Should US trade with Apartheid S Africa?
• Should US suspend Chinas MFN?

10
Concepts Themes.

• Controversies Issues
• How to balance ideological goals with other
  interests?
• Promote democracy develop normal trade
  relations
• How is US foreign policy reflective of morality
  the rule of law?
• How consistently is human rights pursued in US
  foreign relations?
• If the rule of law such an important goal, why
  does the US reject the Intl Criminal Court?
• How easy is it to identify US foreign policy in
  terms of cultural identity?
• Which part of the cultural heritage?

11
Concepts Themes.

• Four American Principles
• Isolationism
• Geographical, emotional ideological reasons
• Washingtons 1796 Farewell Address
• Moralistic
• Open Door Policy
• Roosevelt Corollary
• Morally imperative to spread American ideals and
  values by intervention act as policeman in
  Latin America
• Wilson US participation in WWI out of making
  the world safe for democracy
• Pragmatism
• Trade with both sides of the Napoleonic Wars
• Trade with Japan up to1941
• unilateralism

12
Concepts Themes.

• Competing Themes
• Conflicts among the missions, interests,
  principles gave rise to competing themes in US
  foreign policy over the last more than two a
  quarter centuries.
• Idealism versus Realism
• Idealism
• Intl peace is attainable
• Intl law intl organizations
• Human rights, arms control disarmament
• Peaceful resolution of disputes thru diplomacy

13
Concepts Themes.

• Competing Themes
• Realism
• Pessimistic view of world politics
• Military economic power
• Balance of power
• Military preparedness deterrence
• Idealism or Realism in Foreign Policy
• Points to Remember
• No presidents have held views or made policies
  that can be exclusively be labeled as
  idealistic or realistic.
• Idealism and realism are better viewed as polar
  extremes on a spectrum.

14
Concepts Themes.

• Idealism or Realism in Foreign Policy
• Points to Remember
• Conflicts between idealism realism started in
  early days of the US.
• Idealism or Realism?
• John Adams his British Policy
• US could not afford a conflict with Britain
• US must recognize Britain's predominant power in
  world politics.
• Question Realistic or idealistic?
• Answer Realistic

15
Concepts Themes.

• Idealism or Realism in Foreign Policy
• Idealism or Realism?
• Woodrow Wilson post-WWI Intl Order
• the League of Nations
• Collective security
• Open diplomacy
• National self-determination
• Arms control and disarmament
• Free trade intl cooperation
• Jimmy Carter Carter Doctrine
• Human rights
• Carter Doctrine (against Soviet move to Persian
  Gulf)
• A hybrid of idealism realism

16
Concepts Themes.

• Idealism or Realism in Foreign Policy
• Idealism or Realism?
• Ronald Reagan evil empire
• US would only negotiate from position of strength
• Led biggest peacetime arms buildup
• Held more summit meetings with Soviet leader
• A hybrid of realism idealism

17
Concepts Themes.

• Isolationism versus Involvement
• Isolationism reality or perceived reality?
• George Washington did not advocate total
  isolation knew the need for intl trade.
• Washington dispatched John Jay to London to
  negotiate settlements on lingering issues.
• John Adams fought an undeclared naval war with
  France over French impressments.
• Growing commercial ties with Europe
• Sided with the Allies before entering WWI
• Aided Britain before entering WWII

18
Concepts Themes.

• Isolationism versus Involvement
• Should US return to isolationism?
• Yes
• Collapse of the Soviet empire
• Overextension of US power overseas
• Overextension weakens US position
• Overextension gt interventionism gt negative US
  image
• No
• New threats challenges in post-Cold War world
• US economic strength, military might global
  interests call for continued US involvement

19
Concepts Themes.

• Unilateralism versus Multilateralism
• a post-WWII phenomenon
• Unilateralism, a dominant feature of US foreign
  policy behavior until after WWII
• US leading multilateral efforts since end of
  WWII
• Criticisms about following a multilateral
  strategy
• Contradictory to American unilateral tradition
• Undermining American sovereignty
• Committing US to non-American causes
• Limiting US freedom of action

20
Concepts Themes.

• Unilateralism or Multilateralism in 21st Century
• Unilateralism
• Soviet collapse and disappearance of Communist
  threat
• Post-Cold War era is a unipolar moment
• Multilateralism
• Intl pol, security, economic environmental
  issues are better handled multilaterallyE.g.,
• Multilateral efforts to help democratize former E
  European socialist states
• Multilateral efforts to drive Iraq out of Kuwait
• Clinton signed the multilateral Kyoto
  Environmental Protocol the treaty creating the
  Intl Criminal Court