Foreign Policy Goals Are Related

The Nature of Foreign Policy Foreign Policy: The programs and policies that determine America’s relations with other nations and foreign entities –Diplomacy –Military and security policy –International human rights policies –Economic policies such as trade and international energy policy

Goals of Foreign Policy Three Main Goals of U.S. Foreign Policy 1.Security 2.Economic Prosperity 3.Creation of a Better World

Goals of Foreign Policy Security –Historically concerned with dangers posed by hostile foreign nations –Today, there is also the threat posed by non-state actors (groups other than nation-states that attempt to play a role in the international system)

Collective Security

Goals of Foreign Policy Isolationism: Desire to avoid involvement in the affairs of other nations For most of the 19 th century, isolationism was the dominant U.S. foreign policy –Monroe Doctrine: The U.S. was to be the dominant power in Central and Latin America

Goals of Foreign Policy WWII ended Isolationism Isolation was replaced with deterrence Deterrence: The development and maintenance of military strength as a means of discouraging attack

Goals of Foreign Policy Preventive War (a.k.a. preemption): Policy of striking first when a nation fears that a foreign foe is contemplating hostile action Appeasement: Effort to forestall war by giving in to the demands of a hostile power

Goals of Foreign Policy The Cold War (1940s–1990s) –After WWII, the U.S. and U.S.S.R. became the world’s two superpowers –Were capable of destroying the world many times over with their nuclear arsenals –Never fought one another directly (a “hot war”), but competed for the allegiances of other countries

Goals of Foreign Policy Preemption: Another term for preventative war; the willingness to strike first to prevent an enemy attack Bush Doctrine and preemptive wars –“War on terror” –Invasion of Iraq

Goals of Foreign Policy The United States’ international economic policies should promote prosperity by: –Expanding domestic employment –Maintaining access to foreign natural resources at favorable costs –Promoting foreign investment in the U.S. –Lowering prices that citizens pay for goods and services

Goals of Foreign Policy World Trade –World Trade Organization (WTO): Promotes free trade and provides a dispute mechanism for members –North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA): Eliminated tariffs on imports between America, Canada, and Mexico

Goals of Foreign Policy International Humanitarian Policies –International environmental policies –International human rights policies –International peacekeeping

Goals of Foreign Policy Environmental Policy –The U.S. supports the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Montreal Protocol –However, in general, the U.S. has been unwilling to support policies that run counter to economic growth

Goals of Foreign Policy The United States has traditionally been on the forefront of human rights issues –Largely because the Constitution protects U.S. citizens from discrimination against race, gender, political beliefs and religion Yet economic and security concerns often trump human rights concerns

Goals of Foreign Policy Humanitarian efforts also extend to peacekeeping –Sending troops to keep other nations from fighting one another –Often combined with efforts to protect civilians from starvation, homelessness, and abuse

Who Makes American Foreign Policy? The president and his chief advisors generally dominate on foreign policy matters –Congress plays a role –Sometimes the courts, interest groups, and public opinion can also play a role

Who Makes American Foreign Policy? Presidents can be tremendously influential –Bush Doctrine: Preemptive war and unilateral military action –Obama: Emphasis on diplomacy and cooperation with allies

Who Makes American Foreign Policy? Major governmental players in foreign policy –Secretaries of State, Defense, and Treasury –Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) –Director of CIA –Director of National Security Council (NSC)

Who Makes American Foreign Policy?

Principal Foreign-Policy Provisions of the Constitution

Who Makes American Foreign Policy? The Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war Congress controls funding for war –However, Congress rarely refuses to fund military actions the president has initiated Senate confirms president’s nominees for all key foreign policy positions

Who Makes American Foreign Policy? Interest Groups –“Single-issue” groups –National origin groups (especially Israel) –Human rights groups Media –Negative media can lead to negative pubic opinion

Who Makes American Foreign Policy? In times of crisis: –The presidency is at its strongest –The circle of influence is very constrained –Foreign actors can often constrain the options open to U.S. policy makers

Instruments of Modern American Foreign Policy Diplomacy: The representation of a government to other foreign governments United Nations: Comprised of 192 countries, each of which gets one vote

Instruments of Modern American Foreign Policy

Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank) –Mechanism for governments to lend money to one another in ways that private sector markets could not International Monetary Fund (IMF) –Helps stressed nations borrow short-term funds

Instruments of Modern American Foreign Policy Economic Aid –America provides $30B a year to other countries –“Carrot” to get countries to take desired actions Economic Sanctions –“Stick” to get countries to take desired actions –Trade embargoes, bans on investment, bans on travel, freezing of assets held in banks

Instruments of Modern American Foreign Policy Collective Security –OAS, NATO, ANZUS, SATO Link the fate of one country to the rest of the members –An armed attack against any of its members “shall be considered as an attack against all…”

Instruments of Modern American Foreign Policy Military Force War is “politics by other means”

Instruments of Modern American Foreign Policy Arbitration: The resolution of a disagreement by a neutral third party –Seen as a “soft power” as opposed to the military –Virtually every international contract contains an arbitration mechanism