Foreign & Military Policy By: Anna Forster, Allison Henry, Cindy Li, Layla Tavangar, Zili Xu

Kinds of Foreign Policies Majoritarian – confer benefits & impose costs (go to war, alliances, etc.) ◦President = dominant figure, reflects public opinion Foreign policy reflects interest groups ◦Congress plays larger role Client politics – aid to US corporations abroad

Constitution/Legal Context President = commander in chief, appoints ambassadors, negotiates treaties Congress must authorize money, confirm appointments, ratifies treaties, declares war **President is not as powerful as people think (only 5/13 wars approved by Cong)

War Powers Act Only 60 day commitment of troops without declaration of war All commitments reported within 48 hours Legislative veto to send troops home  struck down in Chadha case

Decision Making/Public Opinion Power widespread, rivalries between branches Secretary of State job too big for one person  National Security Staff created Public opinion = major factor ◦Americans support escalation rather than withdrawing ◦Support president during times of crisis ◦Opinion of masses worse than opinion of elites b/c not well informed

Four World Views of Foreign Policy 1). Isolationism - opposition to getting involved in European wars (after WWI) 2). Containment - iron curtain, defensive alliances  welcome allies or prevent military conquest (after WWII) 3). Disengagement – “new isolationism” (after Vietnam) 4). Human Rights – genocides in Rwanda, China, etc.

Military Force Forms of foreign policy: ◦discussions, treaties, organizations ◦troops, ships, aircraft, foreign aid ◦weapons of mass destruction Majoritarian view - military exists to defend the country or help other nations defend (all benefit) vs. military is too powerful view (benefits big corps)

Defense Budget US does not maintain large military during peacetime Changes in spending reflect public opinion Spending: ◦People (soldiers, etc.) = most expensive, # volunteers increased with pay raises ◦Hardware (aircrafts, etc.) ◦“Readiness” (training, supplies, food) Cost overruns because: ◦Hard to estimate ◦Underestimate when want Congress to approve ◦Small ticket items may seem inexpensive but must be fit for military

Structure of Decision Making 4 branches of services cannot be merged President = commander in chief  Dept of Defense  Specialized Commands Department of Defense ◦Secretary of Defense ◦Secretaries of Army, Navy, Air force, Marines ◦Joint Chiefs of Staff – heads of each service, chairman, vice chairman, appointed officials

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Interest Group Politics – benefits on some small, identifiable group and impose costs on another group ◦For Repeal:  Human Rights Campaign – lesbian/gay equality ◦Against Repeal:  Center for Military Readiness – homosexuality is incompatible with military service

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