1. Learning about U.S. Domestic and Foreign Policy
Here and There
SS.7.C.4.1 Differentiate concepts related to U.S. Domestic and Foreign Policy.
Learning about U.S. Domestic and Foreign Policy

2. What is the difference? Headline 1:
Read each of the fictional headlines below. What is the difference between these two news items?
Headline 1:
Congress passes bill to support newly arrived immigrants in the United States
Have students discuss the differences in the headlines. Emphasize that one of these policies (Article 1) addresses people WITHIN the United States and the other (Article 2) addresses the relationship between two countries.
Headline 2
President issues executive order restoring relations with formerly communist nation

3. Define It: Domestic Policy/Affairs
The set of decisions that a government makes relating to things that directly affect the people in its own country.
What kind of decisions?
Laws
Policies
Actions
Can you name some domestic policy issues?
Examples of domestic policy issues: healthcare, taxes, social security, education, business regulation, gun control, domestic terrorism, drug policies, etc. Visit for additional examples.
Interesting political cartoon about domestic policy:

4. What are the goals and objectives of domestic policy?
Protect and help the people within the United States
Security
Health
Well-being/prosperity
Government agencies help carry out these goals and objectives, like the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services
These are general goal and objectives of domestic policy. Discuss the goals/objectives with the students.
How do you think the U.S. protects the people within the U.S.?
Creating laws to protect our safety
Providing military/law enforcement
Border security measures
Working to prevent acts of domestic terrorism
How do you think the government tries to help/protect the health of the people in the U.S.?
Creating programs (healthcare, welfare, etc.)
Funding research
Providing disaster relief
Providing health guidelines (nutritional labeling, consumer safety measures, etc.)
How does the government promote well-being and prosperity?
Public education
Education loans
Home loans/housing
Federal subsidies for critical resources (like farms yielding crops for food production)

5. Domestic Policy
Who creates and implements policy within the United States?
Legislative branch makes laws and policies on the local, state, and federal level.
Executive branch enforces laws and policies on the local, state, and federal level. This includes government agencies.

6. Define it: Foreign Policy/Affairs
A government’s strategy in interacting with other nations of the world
International relations is the study of the behavior that occurs across the boundaries of countries, the interactions between countries, and the institutions (private, nongovernmental, and intergovernmental) that oversee those interactions.
DIGGING DEEPER

7. What are some examples of foreign policy/affairs issues?
These are the foreign policy issues listed on the U.S. Department of State

8. What are the goals and objectives of foreign policy?
The Department of State has four main foreign policy goals:
Protect the United States and Americans;
Advance democracy, human rights, and other global interests;
Promote international understanding of American values and policies; and
Support U.S. diplomats, government officials, and all other personnel at home and abroad who make these goals a reality.
Discuss each goal/objective with the students.
For example, what do you think the U.S. and American citizens needs protection from?
Answers that could follow: from the threats of terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, infectious diseases, drug trafficking, crime, and environmental degradation
How can we advance democracy?
Answers that could follow: by assisting newly formed democracies and denouncing regimes that deny their citizens the right to choose their leaders in free, fair, and transparent elections.
How do we defend human rights? by holding governments accountable to their obligations under human rights standards and agreements; fostering greater respect for human rights; promoting the rule of law, seeking accountability, and changing cultures of impunity; and assisting efforts to reform and strengthen the UN Commission on Human Rights.
How can we encourage economic growth and prosperity?
by supporting economic development through increased investment and exports and democratization and by reducing poverty and fighting disease
How can we promote understanding of American values and policies?
by engaging international audiences through official events and public programs at embassies around the world and by people-to-people exchange programs in a broad array of fields, including the arts, culture, education, sports, and science

9. What is the Department of State?
Oldest and head agency in the President’s Cabinet.
Established in 1781 the Department of Foreign Affairs and was renamed as the Department of State in the Constitution in 1789
Mission Statement
Create a more secure, democratic, and prosperous world for the benefit of the American people and the international community.

10. Secretary of State
Responsible for managing the Department of State and all of its overseas missions, including approximately 67,000 employees.
Leads the department in carrying out the President’s foreign policy.
For example, carrying out the President’s executive order to restore relations with another country.
Remind students that an executive order issued by the president carries the force of law.

11. Other than the Secretary of State, who are some of the people who work in the Department of State?
Diplomats
People who work to negotiate and maintain relations between nations
Ambassadors
The chief of a diplomatic mission; representative of a country to a country where s/he is appointed.
Diplomats and ambassadors are just some of the people who work in the Department of State – there are many positions within the Department of State.

12. What do diplomats do?
Diplomacy is the practice of negotiating and maintaining relations between nations
This includes forming alliances, or a relationship in which countries agree to work together.
Countries that form alliances are known as allies.
An official agreement between countries is known as a treaty.
A statement of government policy in international relations is called doctrine.
Diplomats work to promote diplomacy…
Image from:

13. Diplomacy Around the World The United States has embassies and diplomatic efforts in the locations on the map below
What is an embassy?
An embassy is the diplomatic group from one country to another. It is the office of the ambassador to that country and their diplomatic staff.
To see the list of countries and ambassadors, visit
To view the interactive map, click HERE
To see the list of countries and ambassadors, visit

14. Relates to domestic policy/relations… …or foreign policy/relations.
What’s the issue?
On the next few slides, you will see some issues from the headlines you reviewed earlier.
What you need to decide is if the issue
Relates to domestic policy/relations…
…or foreign policy/relations. F D

15. https://www. whitehouse
Domestic policy/relations.
Questions for discussion: What goal of domestic policy does this promote? (well-being and prosperity of Americans)
What could be the domestic implication of combating child poverty?

16.
Foreign policy/relations
Discuss the implications of the United States’ role in this partnership: enhances economic development between the United States and Mexico. How do these things impact us domestically (at home)? How do these things impact us internationally?

17. https://www. whitehouse
Domestic policy/relations.
Questions for discussion: What goal of domestic policy does this promote? (well-being and prosperity of Americans)
What could be an outcome of designing high schools “for the 21st century”? (Innovation in STEM topics)

18.
Foreign policy/relations
Discuss the implications of the United States’ role in this partnership: improving security, promoting economic connectivity, increasing against the impacts of climate change. How do these things impact us domestically (at home)? How do these things impact us internationally?

19. The Headlines: Home and Abroad
In your group, you will need to do some research to find news articles that show examples of each goal/objective of domestic and foreign policy/affairs.
Domestic Policy/Affairs
Protect and help the people within the United States
Security
Health
Well-being/prosperity
Foreign Policy/Affairs
Protect the United States and Americans;
Advance democracy, human rights, and other global interests;
Promote international understanding of American values and policies; and
Support U.S. diplomats, government officials, and all other personnel at home and abroad who make these goals a reality.

20. Checking for Understanding