The Constitution Who has the institutional framework for foreign and defense policy? The Federal Government The Constitution divides powers between the President and Congress

Presidential Powers What powers does the president have in Foreign Policy? Head of State Appointing and receiving ambassadors Signing Treaties Representing the U.S. Abroad Wage War Negotiate Treaties

Power: President vs. Secretary of State Times when the President wielded more power than the Secretary of State Franklin D. Roosevelt John F. Kennedy Richard Nixon Times when the Secretary of State wielded more power than the President George Marshall/Dean Acheson (Truman) John Foster Dulles (Eisenhower) Henry Kissinger (Ford) Warren Christopher (Clinton)

Reasons the President should have power in Foreign Policy Need an accurate and comprehensive knowledge of the world Steady Systematic adherence to the same view Uniform sensibility to the national character Decision, secrecy, and dispatch

How Foreign Policy Works In the beginning, the Secretary of State handled everything Since WWII, the President plays a large role in directing foreign policy Foreign policy today is influenced by many agencies, including:

Government agencies influencing foreign policy Department of State Department of Defense (responsible for military bases and advisors) Central Intelligence Agency (officers overseas) Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Labor FBI and DEA agents abroad Agency for International Development US Information Agency (runs libraries, radio stations, educational programs)

The Department of National Intelligence Director: Dan Coats In charge of seventeen agencies CIA FBI State Dept Bureau of Intelligence Dept of Energy Office of Intelligence Dept of Treasury Office of Intelligence National Security Agency (monitors and deciphers) National Reconnaissance Office (spying)

Who coordinates foreign policy? National Security Council Chaired by the President, includes VP and Secretaries of Defense and State NSC Staff--chaired by the NSA Adviser Adviser is appointed by the President without Senate confirmation This allows him/her to give advice independent of Dept of State and Dept of Defense

Congress Congressional Leadership Congressional Oversight While the president usually takes the lead on foreign policy, Congress can develop and implement policy too NASA and National Defense Education Act Congressional Oversight Since the 1960s Congress has used oversight more often Investigate policies like Iran-Contra Controversial weapons systems

Non-Constitutional concepts which influence Foreign Policy The President is powerful but not omnipotent. He must still deal with domestic constraints and international pressures Treaty and Executive Agreements War Powers Act 1973 Media

Treaties and Executive Agreements Constitution gives the president power to negotiate treaties and the Senate the power to approve them Only rejected 22 treaties in history Test Ban Treaty of 1999 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2012 How does the president avoid the senate role in treaties? Executive Agreements All the force of a treaty but it is only valid during the President’s term

War Powers Act 1973 What was the point of the War Powers Act? Was designed to reassert congressional war powers The Last Declared war was WWII (2) The WPA was an attempt by Congress to prevent future foreign interventions without out their approval

News Media Press can check the foreign policy powers Investigate policies, expose scandals and affect public opinions Most Importantly, the media can place an issue on the public radar screen