Chapter 15: American Foreign Policy

Foreign Policy

refers to all the programs and policies that determine America’s relations with other countries

What are the 3 core goals of US foreign policy?

security policy, economic prosperity policy, creation of a better world

security policy

deals with our actions towards other nations, terrorist groups, and hostile non-state actors

what does security policy focus on?

food security, energy supplies, raw materials, transportation security, cyberspace security

isolationism

the avoidance of involvement in the affairs of other nations

appeasement

avoiding war by giving into demands

containment

from the Cold War paeriod, had the goal of stoppping the expansion of communism, militarily and ideologically

deterrence

using peace on one hand and force on the other (nuclear weapons)

preventative war

striking first when the nation fears attack

collective action

seize strength in alliances and treaties (NATO, SEATO)

what are the goals of economic prosperity?

1. expand employment opportunities in the US

2. maintain access to energy supplies around the world

3. maintain access to raw materials

4. promote foreign investment in the US

5. wants to lower the price Americans pay for their goods and services

what are the 3 possible views in the creation of a better world?

1. promoting US values overseas - US has an obligation to protect human rights everywhere around the world, to promote democracy, and to provide humanitarian assistance

2. soft power - humanitarian aid and human rights should be used to serve American interests

3. no aid - only spend resources in the US and let other nations look after their own people

who are the main actors driving American Foreign policy?

the president and his advisors

bush doctrine

the US would take preemptive action against threats to national security

doctrine

foreign policy adopted by a president

obama doctrine

US must reduce its reliance on military force - focus more on diplomacy

trump (america first foreign policy)

put america frirst

biden (diplomacy collective action)

use allies

who is the key player in bureaucracy?

the NSC (National Security Council)

who makes up the National Security Council?

the president, the VP, the secretary of state, the secretary of defense, secretary of homeland security, the director of the CIA, and the director of national intelligence

department of state

2nd most important american foreign policy person; controlled by the secretary of state, who oversees 300 US embassies in 195 countries

department of defense

uses hard power in American foreign policy; over 2 million people

how many intelligence agencies are there in the US?

18

where does the CIA work?

generally outside the US

where does the FBI work?

inside the US

why was the DNI formed?

after 9/11, they concluded that this happened because of a lack of coordination between the DoD and the CIA

interest groups

shape foreign policy depending on how strong they are, which party is in office, and their ideology

who are the most powerful interest groups?

economic interest groups

diplomacy

a national government’s representation in foreign policy with another country

UN

founded in 1945 to negotiate international disputes; made up of 193 countries (called the General Assembly)

who is the most powerful group in the UN

the Security Council, made up of 15 countries; 5 are permanent, 10 rotate every 2 years

what is the biggest problem with the UN?

it does not have a standing army so it relies on public opinion; each one of the permanent members has veto power

what did the Bretton-Woods Acoords create?

a new international economic system and the IMF and world bank

what was the world bank’s goal?

to reduce poverty after the war, especially in developing countries by providing low interest loans and grants

why was the IMF set up?

to provide a short term flow of money

what is the reward form of economic aid?

economic aid that has a humanitarian purpose like USAID

what economic aid has the stick approach?

sanctions, embargos, and banning foreign investments

what are the major issues ahead?

1. china and russia are the greatest military powers after the US - China seems determined to expand militarily and economically worldwide

2. nuclear proliferation - stop spread of nuclear weapons - north korea or iran don’t have intercontinental missiles but iran will be nuclear within 6 months to a year

3. trade policy - tariffs - most contentious issue in the world which the US started

4. global environmental policy - climate change - paris accords, withdrawn by trump, depends on who’s leading the country

non-state actors

groups other than nation states that attempt to play a role in the international system; terrorist groups are one type of non state actor

world trade organization

an international organization promoting free trade that grew out of the general agreement on tariffs and trade

united states-mexico-canada agreement

a trade treaty between the united states, canada, and mexico to lower and eliminate tariffs among the three countries

diplomacy

the representation of a government to other governments

United Nations

an organization of nations founded in 1945 to be a channel for negotiation and a means of settling international disputes peaceably