Foreign & Military Policy Chapter 20 Foreign & Military 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 diplomacy – the process by which states carry on relations with each other (can also mean settling conflicts among nations through peaceful means) economic aid – assistance to other nations through grants, loans or credits to buy the assisting nation’s products technical 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 terrorism the Dissolution of the Soviet Union nuclear proliferation Regional Conflicts

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 supervises relations with other independent nations and with multinational organizations like the United Nations staffs embassies power has declined since World War II has “negative constituents,” Americans who oppose aspects of U.S. foreign policy National Security Council advises the president on policies relating to national security provides continuity from one presidential administration to the next

Other Sources of Foreign Policy (cont.) The Intelligence Community – includes government organizations involved in information gathering about the capabilities and intentions of other countries Some agencies in the intelligence community include The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) National Security Agency (NSA) Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

Other Sources of Foreign Policy (cont.) The Intelligence Community – includes government organizations involved in information gathering about the capabilities and intentions of other countries Some agencies in the intelligence community include The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) National Security Agency (NSA) Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

Local Government Units (cont.) The Department of Defense – designed to bring all military activities under the jurisdiction of a single agency headed by a civil secretary of defense has seen size of military significantly reduced has seen reductions in civilian employees

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 1898- 1918 followed by a resurgence of isolationism 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

The Cold War: the ideological, political and economic impasse that existed between the U.S. and the USSR following the end of their WWII alliance during the Cold War, U.S. foreign policy was dominated by containment, the idea limiting Communist power to its (then) existing countries the Cuban Missile Crisis was the closest the superpowers came to direct confrontation détente between the U.S. and the Soviet Union occurred in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s

The Cold War (cont.) during 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 the 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.

What is our foreign policy today???