chapter 18 foreign policymaking

What does foreign involve?

making choices about relations with the rest of the world

What does the white house receive every morning regarding foreign policy?

a highly confidential intelligence briefing

What types of information might be included in the intelligence briefing?

monetary transactions in Shanghai, global trouble spots health of foreign leaders

Why is the intelligence briefing important for foreign policy?

it is part of the massive informational arsenal the president uses to manage American foreign policy.

Instruments of foreign policy:

1) military

2) economic

3) diplomatic

military: types of tools

• oldest instruments of foreign policy are the threat and prosecution war

• often employed force to influence actions in other countries

• Uses of force have been close to home in Central America and the Caribbean

• Saddam hussein’s regime in Iraq

types of tool: economic HOw can economic tols be as powerful as military force?

control of oil, gas, and energy can be used for bargaining and corecion

what are some economic instruments of foreign policy?

trade regulations, tariff policies, monetary policies, economic sanctions

why is ecoomic vitality important for national security?

a strong economy supports long-term security and influence.

quietist instrument of influence: diplomacy

the process by which nations maintain relationships with each other

how is diplomacy different from military and economic tools?

it is the quietest instruments of influence

what are some diplomatic methods?

summit talks, treaties, negotiations on economic relations and aid agreements

international monetary fund

helps regulate the chaotic world of international finance

the world of internal finance

develop projects in new nations

the world trade organization

attempt to regulate internal trade

universal postal union

helps get the mail from one country to another

main function of the UN

peacekeeping, economic development, health, education, and welfare programs

what is the role of the UN security council?

hold real power in the UN, with 5 members US UK China France Russia

What power do permanent members of the security council have

each has a veto over security council decisions, including military peacekeeping operations

what is the role in the UN secretariat

it is the executive arm of the uN, directing administration of UN programs

Why do many countries value the legitimacy of the UN?

It is crucial for their participation in peacekeeping and military operations.

What is a regional organization

a group of nations bound by a treaty ften for military or economic reasons

Purpose of NATO (1949)

members agree to combine miilitary forces and treat an attack on one as an attack on all

What was the Warsaw Pact?

a military alliance formed by the soviet union and its Eastern European allies to counter NATO

How did NATO change after the Cold War?

the warsaw pact dissolved and dormer members like poland hungary and csech republic joined nato

what is the European union?

a transitional government coordinating monetary, trade, immigration, and labor policies among European nations

What major events affected the EU in 2020?

the united kingdom officially withdrew from the EU

What role do multinational corporations play in the global economy

they account for over a quarter of the global economy and half of the world exports

how have MNCs influenced governments

some have worked with agencies like the CIA to influence or destabilize governments

What are NGOs (nongovernmental organization)

groups not connected to governments that operate internationally

What are examples of NGOs

greenpeace ( environmental protection) and amnestry internaltional human rights advocacy

insurgent groups

seek to overthrow governments and operate as terrorists organizations

how do insurgencies affect global politics?

they can influence oil prices and strain international relations.

What role does the president play in foreign policy?

the president is the main force behind foreign policy, serving as chief diplomat and commander in chief

what foreign policy powers does the president have

negotiates treaties, deplays troops, appoints ambassadors, recognizes foreign governments

what is the difference between treaties and executive agreements?

treaties require senate ratification; executive agreements do not

why do presidents prefer executive agreements over treaties?

they are more convenient and do not require senate approval

what advantages does the president have in foreign policy

greater access to information, ability to act with speed, secrecy, leadership of party and public

what is the role of the state department in foreign policy?

it is the foreign policy arm of the US government, led by the secretary of state

why has diplomacy become more dangerous?

Attacks on embassies

How is the state department organized

into functional areas (economic affairs, human rights) and regional specialties (middle eastern affairs, european affairs)

what is a country desk in the state department

a section that handles foreign policy for a specific nation

How some president bypassed the state department in foreign policy?

by relying on personal systems or assistant for national security affairs

what was the result of Nixon and Carter’s appraoch to foreign policy?

foreign policy was centered in in the white house, disconnected from the state department

what role does the secretary of state usually play?

a lead role in policy making

What is the department of Defense commonly called?

the pentagon

What did the Goldwater nichols defense reorganization act of 1986 do?

interservice cooportion and centrailization military heirarchy

Who is the president’s main civilian adviser on national defense?

the secretary of defense

what is the joint chiefs of staff

a group of commanding officers from each armed service, plus a chairperson and vice chairperson

are military leaders more aggressive in policymaking than civilian advisers?

no, studies show they are no more likely to push aggressive military policies

Who are the key members fo the national security council?

the president, vice president, secretary of defense, secretary of state, and national secuirty adviser

What scandal invovled national security council stadd in 1986

the iran contra affair - secret arms sales to iran and funding of nicacguan rebels

what is the role of the cia

coordinates intelligence gathering abroad and analyzes national security threats

What does the National security agency specialize in?

electronic wavesdropping and foreign signals intelligence

director of national intelligence

to oversee intelligence agencies and improve coordination

head of state department foreign policy arms of US government

secretary of state

isolationism in Us foreign policy

a policy of avoiding involvement in other nations’ conflicts especially european wars

What was the monroe doctrine?

a policy stating that the US would stay out of european affairs and warned europe to stay out of Latin America

How did the Us enforce the monroe doctrine in latin america

by intervening militarily in central amercia and the caribeean

when did US adbandon isolation

during world war I entering the conflict in 1917

What event marked the beginning of the cold war?

the end of world war II and rising tensions between the Us and soviet union

what was the marshall plan

a US program that provided billions of dallars to help rebuild war - ravaged Europe nations

What military alliance was create in 1949

NATO, affirming mutal military interests between the Us and western europe

what was the policy of containment

a US strategy to isolate the soviet union and resit communist expansion

What was the truman doctrine

a us policy to help nations resist communism

berlin blockade

a soviet attempt to cut off land access to west berlin

how dd the us respond to the berlin blockade

by airlighting food, fuel, and supplies to west berlin

brinkmanship

a policy threatening nuclear war to deter soviet a chinese aggression

what was the arms race

a competition between the US and soviety Union to build nuclear weapons

what was the mutual assured destruction?

the idea that both superpowers could annihilate each other deterring war

What led to widespring protests against the Vietnam War in the US?

the failure to contain North Vietnam and the massive bombing campaigns

detente

a policy of easing tensions between the US and soviet union, emphasizing cooperation and mutual security

What were the treategic arms limitation talks

neogiations between the US and society union to limit nuclear weapons

Why was the salt II treaty withdrawn from senate consideration?

the soviet invasion of afghanistian in 1979

What happened to US defense spending from mid 1950s to 1981

it declined as a percentage of the federal budget and GDP, except during the Vietnam War.

Why did reagan believe the U.S. faced a “window of vulnerability”

He thoguht the soviet unionn was outpacing the US in military spending

what was the strategic defense initiative

a missile defense system using space-based technology star wars

why was the SDI criticized?

many doubted its desibility, leading to scaled down expectations

What did president george HW bush announce in 1989?

a shift from containment integrating the soviet union into a global community

what symbolized the end of the cold war

the fall of the berlin wall

What happened to the soviet Union after the Cold War

split into 15 separate nations, many adopting noncommunists government

What happened in tiananmen square 1989?

Chinese leaders violently suppressed pro democracy protests

What event shattered the sense of security int he US

9/11

Terrorism

the strategic use of violence to demoralize and frighten a country’s population or government

what hostage crisis involved US diplomats

the iranian hostage crisis

Why is terrorism diffilcult to defend against?

terrorists use stealth surprise, and are often willing to die for their cause

what measures can help combat terrorism

improved security better intelligence gathering and punsihign terrorist supporting governments

what factors influence US defense policy

domestic political concerns budgetary limitations, ideology, and negotiations with allies and adversaries

what elements are citical in national defense policies

budgets personnel and military equipment

what are the main goals of US defense policy

win the war on terriorism, defend US territory from new threats, and conduct smaller military actions worldwide

what is the large military infracstructure necessary

to achieve defense goals and maintain national security

what is the peace dividend?

the reduction in defense spending following the lessening of East-West tensions in the 1990s

How does US defense spending compare globally

the US spendds more on defense than the next 15-20 biggest spenders combined

What is the conservative stance on defense spending?

Conservatives advocate for increased spending to maintain high military readiness and counter global threats.

What is the liberal stance on defense spending?

Liberals support spending for the war on terrorism but are skeptical of wasteful Pentagon expenditures, emphasizing investments in health and education.

What challenges arise from changing defense spending patterns?

Expensive military hardware, job losses when weapons programs end, and political competition over defense contracts.

What military advantages does the U.S. possess?

Overwhelming nuclear superiority, the world’s dominant air force, a globally operational navy, and advanced battlefield technology.

What is the "peace dividend"?

The reduction in defense spending following the lessening of East–West tensions in the 1990s.

What challenges arise from changing defense spending patterns?

Expensive military hardware, job losses when weapons programs end, and political competition over defense contracts.

How did defense spending change after 9/11?

It increased sharply to address terrorism threats.