1. Foreign Policy
“The answer to everything is not dropping a bomb…..or a firing squad……Just kidding that is always the answer.” –Coach Das (my brother)

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

3. 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

4. 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
He wages war but CONGRESS declares war

5. 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

6. 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
Media

7. Treaties and Executive Agreements
Constitution gives the president power to negotiate treaties and the Senate the power to approve them
Only rejected 17 treaties in history
Test Ban Treaty of 1999
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

8. War Powers Act 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

9. 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