The Swift Movement
of Events
The United States of America and the
Mantle of World Leadership in the 21st
Century
Questions About US Foreign
Policy and Government…
O Which goals guide the formulation of
American foreign policy?
O How are the various branches of
government involved in the conduct
of foreign policy?
O Which tools are used in the conduct of
foreign policy?
O Which factors influence US Foreign
Policy?
What is Foreign Policy?
O Foreign policy refers to
the official positions and
actions of the national
government in
relationships with other
countries.
O In general, there are
three styles of foreign
policy: isolationist policies,
imperialist policies, and
interventions. To some
degree the United States
has pursued each of
these styles during it’s
history.
What are the goals of US
Foreign Policy?
Surprisingly, many of these general
goals were shaped in the early 20th
Century by one very controversial
President: Woodrow Wilson.
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Preserve World Peace
Promote Democracy
Protect Nations against Aggression
Encourage Free Trade
Safeguard the Global Environment
Encourage International
Cooperation
The Role of the Executive
Branch in Foreign Policy
The responsibility of
determining the broad
foreign policy of the
United States falls
largely upon the
President. As both the
Commander-in-Chief
and the primary
negotiator in the US
government, the
President has great
discretion in articulating
our foreign policy – but
not complete control!
Key Executive Agencies in
US Foreign Policy
O The State Department – The Secretary
of State plays a large role in
negotiating treaties and determining
US foreign policy along with the
President.
O The National Security Council – High
ranking military advisors to the
President always have his ear, and the
urgent need to preserve national
security is never far from his mind.
Key Executive Agencies in
US Foreign Policy
O The Foreign Service – Ambassadors to
nations around the globe have a very
important role to play. George F. Kennan,
a low ranking diplomat in the Soviet
Union, had a large role in determining the
US foreign policy during the Cold War.
Attacks against American embassies – like
the ones in Beirut, Lebanon, in Iran, and
most recently in Benghazi, Libya, can
have lasting influences on US foreign
relations.
Key Executive Agencies in
US Foreign Policy
O The Department of
Defense – The
national security of
the United States is
always priority
number one for any
American President,
so the Secretary of
Defense must keep
the President
appraised of all
threats to the
nation.
The Central Intelligence
Agency (CIA)
The CIA collects
information globally
about threats to the
United States through
surveillance and
espionage. It is the role
of this agency to detect
and monitor threats to
the United States of
America, and to keep
the President constantly
aware of the threats to
national security which
are evolving.
Fidel Castro was once
considered a major threat to the
US and targeted by the CIA for
assassination.
The Role of the Congress
Determining US Foreign Policy
Key Powers of the Congress
Over US Foreign Policy
O Only Congress has the power to
declare war – although Presidents
have been able to successfully avoid
this requirement for every war since
World War II, a serious breakdown of
the Constitution.
O Congress must ratify any treaties
before they are official.
Key Powers of the Congress
Over US Foreign Policy
O Congress appropriates funds, meaning
that you can start a war, but you may
not have the resources to fight it. It
would, however, be very difficult to
leave US Soldiers in the lurch.
O The Congress must approve all key
agency leaders in the President’s
Cabinet.
O The Congress must also approve all
ambassadors.
The Role of the Judiciary
How the Supreme Court Influences
Foreign Policy
The nine justices of the Supreme
Court have enormous powers to
determine the constitutionality of
executive orders of the
President, but almost no ability to
enforce their decisions.
Worcester V. Georgia (1832)
This famous case illustrates the limits of the Supreme Courts powers over
foreign policy. Chief Justice John Marshall declared that the federal
government must intervene to prevent the Cherokee from being removed
from the state of Georgia. President Andrew Jackson simply refused act.
Foreign Policy Methods
O Most of the time foreign policy is
conducted by nations who are seeking
mutually beneficial agreements: trade,
collective security, or economic interests
intersect and agreements are made.
O Foreign Aid can be an effective way to
gain allies as well. Since the US is one of
the wealthiest nations on Earth and a
major producer of food, providing
struggling nations with money and grain
shipments is a good way to win allies.
Economic Sanctions
O Hostility towards another nation can
manifest itself in a number of ways.
O Refusing to trade with a nation in order
to punish the country economically
has been an effective strategy for the
United States over the years.
Successful embargoes against South
Africa, Cuba, and Iraq crippled those
nations economically over the years.
Military Interventions
O Military intervention should always be a
policy of last resort; however, the US
Government has used military
interventions repeatedly in its history to
advance our foreign policy goals:
World War I, World War II, The
Korean War, the Vietnam War,
The Persian Gulf War, The Iraq
War, and the War in Afghanistan
were major US military interventions.
Alliances and Treaties
O American commitments to certain nations
have been made structural and permanent
by alliances and treaties, for example:
O NATO: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
O US-Japanese Relations
O US-South Korean Relations
O NAFTA: The North American Free Trade
Agreement
O The Non-Proliferation Nuclear Treaty with Iran
Factors that Influence
American Foreign Policy
O Public Opinion: Does the United States
population support this policy? Will
they re-elect the governmental figures
that pursue this course?
O Special Interest Groups: Do people
with access to the governments
leaders have the ability to influence
their opinions?
Factors that Influence
American Foreign Policy
O International Organizations: Would
NATO approved? Does the European
Union support our policy? How will the
Russians respond to our choices? Will
our allies support us?
O Global Economic Interests: Will the
proposed policy result in economic
gains (short term or long term) or
economic disruption (short term or
long term)?
American Foreign Policy
Issues in 2015
Current Events in American Foreign Policy
Terrorism: ISIS, al-Qaeda,
and Radical Islam
O Just this week,
attacks by radicals
associated with the
self-named Islamic
State launched
attacks against an
oil refinery in
France, a resort in
Tunisia, and in
Kuwait.
Human Rights
Although the United States
attempts to consistently
support human rights
around the globe, many
of the nations we conduct
business with and attempt
to support have poor
records when it comes to
human rights issues. Take
China, Pakistan, and Saudi
Arabia for example. The
US record on human rights,
obviously, is not perfect
either, much to our
embarrassment.
Weapons Control: The Proliferation
of Nuclear Weapons
Keeping nuclear
weapons out of the hands
of terrorist organizations is
priority number one
today. Whenever
unpredictable radicals
like Kim Jung Un, the
leadership of Iran, or
terrorist organizations gain
access to nuclear
weapons and the delivery
systems that might be
used to detonate them,
the world is much, much
less safe.
International Drug
Trafficking
The Global Environment
The United States continue
to debate the impact of
climate change and the
role that human beings play
in causing it. Scientists don’t
debate about this issue, they
just warn of the dire
consequences. Other
nations have taken the lead
in protecting the global
environment, but the United
States, citing a need to
remain competitive against
China and other developing
nations economically, has
not tightened up our rules.
The United States’ Role in
the United Nations
The United States has
been an important
contributing member
of the United Nations
at times; however,
under George W.
Bush, the international
peacekeeping
organization was
virtually ignored.