POS 374: U.S. Foreign Policy Midterm

loss aversion

The psychological tendency for decision-makers to prioritize avoiding potential losses much more strongly than pursuing potential gains. Loss aversion is an aspect of rational decision making: Leaders are more likely to take risks to protect something they already have

rational decision making model

Rational decision-making assumes that policymakers weigh the costs and benefits to choose the most rational outcome. The decision-makers are systemic, goal-oriented, and informed by careful information analysis.

What is the balance of power?

The balance of power is a strategy aimed at preventing any one nation or alliance from becoming too dominant.

What is the goal of the balance of power strategy?

To maintain stability and equilibrium in the global system.

Which theory is the balance of power strategy rooted in?

Realism.

How does realism view international relations?

As a competitively anarchic environment where states pursue their own security and interests.

Hunt's U.S. Foreign Policy

Hunt's USFP is highly influenced by ideology (like realism and structuralism). It's ideological elements include visions of national greatness, hierarchy of race, and perils of revolution.

4 tenets of neoconservatism

The four tenets of neoconservatism are:

1. Moral clarity in international affairs

2. Preserving U.S. global preeminence

3. Willingness to use force

4. Distrust of international law/institutions

Who coined the phrase 'Where are the women' in relation to foreign policy?

Cynthia Enloe

What does Cynthia Enloe's question 'Where are the women' challenge?

The absence and invisibility of women in discussions and analyses of foreign policy and international relations.

What does Enloe argue traditional foreign policy and international relations ignore?

Women's experiences and contributions.

What roles does Enloe investigate in relation to global political decisions?

Women's roles as workers, activists, diplomats, wives, and caregivers.

How does the question 'Where are the women' challenge existing frameworks?

It challenges male-dominated frameworks that shape decisions on war, diplomacy, and development.

What is the 1% Doctrine?

The U.S. should treat a 1% chance of a massive threat as a certainty and act to eliminate it.

When was the 1% Doctrine developed?

After 9/11.

How did the 1% Doctrine impact U.S. foreign policy?

It justified preemptive military interventions and intelligence operations.

What psychological concept does the 1% Doctrine represent?

Loss aversion.

What political ideology is associated with the 1% Doctrine?

Neoconservatism.

What are the four tenets of neoconservatism?

Democracy promotion, military strength, moral clarity, and American exceptionalism.

What does NATO stand for?

North Atlantic Treaty Organization

When was NATO formed?

1949

What was the primary reason for the formation of NATO?

In response to the threat of the Soviet Union

What role does NATO play in US foreign policy and international relations?

Maintaining security and shared identity among nations

What type of alliance is NATO?

An intergovernmental military alliance

Which regions are primarily involved in NATO?

Countries in Europe and North America

What is one of NATO's capabilities regarding global influence?

Exerting global influence while maintaining strong transatlantic ties

What is bureaucratic politics?

Competition and negotiation between government agencies, departments, and officials, each with their own interests, perspectives, and agendas.

How does foreign policy often emerge according to bureaucratic politics?

Foreign policy often emerges from bargaining and compromise among key players rather than following a single, unified national interest.

What does Graham Allison's quote 'Where you stand depends on where you sit' imply?

It implies that officials' positions are shaped by their institutional priorities.

What do bureaucratic politics explain in the context of U.S. foreign relations?

Bureaucratic politics explain why inter-agency rivalries and institutional biases prevail and influence U.S. foreign relations.

What is liberal imprudence?

The overzealous promotion of liberal democratic values without fully considering the practical consequences or local context.

What are some values promoted by liberal imprudence?

Democracy, human rights, and free markets.

What type of policies does liberal imprudence often lead to?

Idealistic interventionism policies.

What tension does liberal imprudence highlight in US foreign policy?

The tension between idealism and pragmatism.

Who created 'The Conquest of a Continent' map?

August Kaiser and Agnes Larson

In what year was 'The Conquest of a Continent' map created?

1933

Where was 'The Conquest of a Continent' map created?

Minneapolis, MN

What does 'The Conquest of a Continent' map depict?

Racial hierarchies and biases embedded in U.S. history

What themes does 'The Conquest of a Continent' map romanticize?

American expansionism and racism

What ideologies are used to justify the portrayal in 'The Conquest of a Continent' map?

Social Darwinism and Manifest Destiny

What does 'The Conquest of a Continent' map cleanse from its depiction of America?

Indigenous American and Black blood

Structuralism

A theory of IR that focuses on the underlying systemic structures like distribution of power among states, economic inequalities, and global capitalism, rather than individual state actions.

Post-structuralism

Sees power as productive, meaning it is embedded in language and discourse. It encourages a way of looking at the world that challenges what is accepted as "truth" and "knowledge."

moral clarity in international affairs

Dividing the world into good and evil

preserving U.S. global preeminence

Maintaining military dominance

willingness to use force

Belief in military interventions to promote democracy

distrust of international law/institutions

Skepticism toward the UN and multilateralism

What are A-Level threats according to Joseph Nye?

Immediate, existential dangers to a nation's survival.

What type of responses do A-Level threats demand?

Urgent and decisive responses.

Are A-Level threats a primary national security concern after the Cold War?

No, they have disappeared since the end of the Cold War.

Give examples of A-Level threats.

Military invasions, nuclear attacks, large scale terrorism, and the Soviet Union during the 20th century.

What is a B-Level threat according to Joseph Nye?

A B-Level threat is a significant but non-existential challenge that threatens national interests without directly endangering survival.

Do B-Level threats require immediate military action?

No, B-Level threats require strategic attention but not immediate military action.

What are some examples of B-Level threats?

Examples of B-Level threats include regional conflicts, economic crises, cyber attacks, and issues related to North Korea and Iraq.

What are C-Level threats according to Joseph Nye?

Long-term, low-priority issues that affect global stability but pose no direct harm to the state.

What types of solutions are often required for C-Level threats?

Diplomatic, economic, or cooperative solutions.

Why have C-Level threats come to dominate the foreign policy agenda?

They dominate media attention in the information age.

What may have contributed to the rise of C-Level threats?

The disappearance of A-level threats.

Give examples of C-Level threats.

Climate change, diplomatic disputes, and crises in Kosovo, Bosnia, Somalia, Rwanda, and Haiti.

national greatness (Hunt)

U.S. exceptionalism and the nations destiny to play a leading role in world affairs through expansionist, military interventions.

hierarchy of race (Hunt)

Racial perceptions have shaped U.S. attitudes; views Western nations as superior, justifying colonialism and discrimination.

perils of revolution (Hunt)

USFP has been wary of revolutionary movements and challenges to global order. This explains U.S. hostility to socialist and communist movements.

rational decision making II

Rational decision making, though intuitively the best decision-making model, often faces problems like cognitive biases and inter-agency rivalries. Reality and people are unpredictable, which makes it hard to use this model.