Foreign Policy Basics

These flashcards cover key terms and definitions regarding U.S. foreign policy, military deployment, international relationships, and recent global events.

Foreign Policy

Multiple policies dealing with a country’s reactions and positions in relationships with other countries.

U.S. Military Troops

Total of 1.32 million military troops in the U.S.

U.S. Troops Deployed Overseas

166,000 U.S. troops are deployed overseas.

Number of U.S. Military Bases Worldwide

Approximately 750 military bases in 80 countries.

Goals of U.S. Foreign Policy

National Security, Economic Prosperity, National and International Peace, Internationalism vs Isolationism.

U.N. Security Council Permanent Members

U.S., U.K., Russia, France, China are the five permanent members.

NATO

North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which has 32 member countries.

How much of our budget does the US use towards foreign aid?

Less than 1% of the U.S. national budget is allocated for foreign aid.

Countries Receiving Most U.S. Foreign Aid (2024)

Ukraine, DR Congo, Jordan, Ethiopia, West Bank & Gaza received the most aid.

Country that has received the most U.S. foreign aid since 9/11.

Afghanistan

Free Trade Agreement

An agreement reducing or eliminating tariffs to allow the free flow of goods and services.

USMCA

United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which replaced NAFTA under Donald Trump.

Trump's Tariff Policy

Raised tariff levels to a minimum of 10% per country.

Sanction

Economic tools used to influence foreign governments' behavior.

Types of Sanctions

Denying market access, freezing assets, blocking purchases of U.S. goods.

Countries Recently Sanctioned by the U.S.

Iran, Cuba, North Korea, Russia, China.

President's Roles in Foreign Policy

Commander in Chief, Chief of State, leads National Security Council.

Department of State Goals

Protect security, increase prosperity, promote values.

Current Secretary of State

Marco Rubio is the current Secretary of State.

Embassy

Official diplomatic HQ in a foreign country, usually in the capital.

Consulate

Office offering help to citizens abroad and info about the host country.

What embassy was re-established in 2015?

Cuba

Ambassador

Official U.S. representative to a foreign country.

Diplomatic Immunity

Protection from legal action in a host country for diplomats.

Persona Non-Grata

A person banned from entering a country.

Department of Defense

Oversees military decision-making.

Headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense.

The Pentagon

Current Secretary of Defense

Pete Hegseth is the current Secretary of Defense.

Current Chairman of the Army

Dan Caine is the current Chairman of the Army.

CIA

Gathers international intelligence and security information.

Current CIA Director

John Ratcliffe is the current CIA Director.

FBI Responsibilities

Domestic intelligence and federal law enforcement.

Current FBI Director

Kash Patel is the current FBI Director.

Selective Service Registration

Men ages 18–25, including immigrants, must register.

When was the last time the draft was used?

The draft has not been used since 1973.

Democracy

Government where power is held by the people through elections.

Autocracy/Dictatorship

Government with absolute power in the hands of one ruler.

Freedomhouse.org

A U.S. organization supporting global democracy.

U.S. Freedom Scores

Global Freedom: 84/100, Internet Freedom: 76/100.

Lowest Global Freedom Score

North Korea has the lowest score at 3/100.

Country with Highest Freedom Score

Finland 100/100

Russia's Invasion of Ukraine

Occurred on February 24, 2022.

Estimated Russian Military Casualties

700,000 killed or wounded.

Estimated Ukrainian Military Casualties

400,000 killed or wounded.

Desire for War to Stop (Russia & Ukraine)

61% of Russians and 51% of Ukrainians want the war to stop.

Hamas Attack on Israel

First attacked on October 7, 2023.

Israeli Hostages Held by Hamas

24 Israeli hostages are held by Hamas.

Casualties in Israel-Palestine Conflict

1,139 Israelis and 61,709 Palestinians have died.

Countries with Nuclear Weapons

Russia, USA, China, France, UK, Pakistan, India, Israel, North Korea.

Most and Least Nuclear Warheads

Most: Russia, Least: North Korea.

Michael Fay Incident

American teen caned in Singapore (1993) for vandalizing cars.

Otto Warmbier

American student imprisoned in North Korea (2016), returned in a vegetative state, died shortly after.