Chapter 14 Foreign Policy

What is Foreign Policy? ~ a nation’s 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

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

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 Political Realism – sees each nation acting principally in its own interest

Current Challenges in World Politics oTerrorism oNuclear proliferation oChina o Regional Conflicts ~ The Middle East ~The Persian Gulf ~ Bosnia ~Kosovo ~Southern Africa ~African Civil Wars

Powers of the President in Making Foreign Policy Constitutional Powers 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 can appoints ambassadors Informal powers has access to information is a legislative leader who can influence Congress’s foreign policy can influence public opinion can commit the nation morally to a course of action

Other Sources of Foreign Policy Department of State National Security Council The Intelligence Community The Department of Defense

Major Foreign Policy Themes Negative” foreign policy during 1700 and 1800’s (isolationism) mistrust of Europe militarily weak shaped by the Monroe Doctrine Spanish –American War and World War I seen as temporary entanglements lasted from followed by a resurgence of isolationism

Major Foreign Policy Themes (cont.) The Era of Internationalism began with bombing of Pearl Harbor, and U.S. entry into World War II resulted in significant increases in defense spending emerged from World War II with a strengthened economy controlled nuclear weapons

Major Foreign Policy Themes (cont.) The Cold War – the ideological, political and economic impasse that existed between the U.S. and the Soviet Union following the end of their World War II alliance oduring the Cold War, U.S. foreign policy was dominated by containment, the idea limiting Communist power to its (then) existing countries othe Cuban Missile Crisis was the closest the superpowers came to direct confrontation odétente between the U.S. and the Soviet Union occurred in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s oduring the 1980’s the Reagan administration lobbied for the development of the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI or “Star Wars), and also negotiated significant arms control treaties othe 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.

Hot Links to Selected Internet Resources: Book’s Companion Site: f f2004 Wadsworth’s Political Science Site: U.S. Department of State: The Brookings Institution: Central Intelligence Agency: