Chapter 14
Foreign Policy
What is Foreign Policy?
~ a nation’s external goals and techniques and
strategies used to achieve them
~ American foreign policy includes national
security policy,which is policy designed to
protect the independence and the political
and economic integrity of the United States
Tools of Foreign Policy
o diplomacy – the process by which states carry on
relations with each other (can also mean settling
conflicts among nations through peaceful means)
o economic aid – assistance to other nations through
grants,loans or credits to buy the assisting
nation’s products
o technical assistance – sending individuals with
expertise in agriculture,engineering or business to
aid other nations
Competing Views of Foreign
Policy
Moral Idealism – one theory of how nations
act,it views all nations as willing to
cooperate and agree on moral standards for
conduct
Political Realism – sees each nation acting
principally in its own interest
Current Challenges in World
Politics
o Terrorism
o Nuclear proliferation
o China
o Regional Conflicts
~The Middle East
~The Persian Gulf
~Bosnia
~Kosovo
~Southern Africa
~African Civil Wars
Powers of the President in Making Foreign Policy
Constitutional Powers
? solemnly swears to,preserve,protect and defend the
Constitution of the United States”
? is commander in chief of the military
? can make treaties (which are later ratified by the Senate)
? can enter into executive agreements
? can appoints ambassadors
Informal powers
? has access to information
? is a legislative leader who can influence Congress’s
foreign policy
? can influence public opinion
? can commit the nation morally to a course of action
Other Sources of Foreign Policy
? Department of State
? National Security Council
? The Intelligence Community
? The Department of Defense
Major Foreign Policy Themes
Negative” foreign policy during 1700 and 1800’s
(isolationism)
mistrust of Europe
militarily weak
shaped by the Monroe Doctrine
Spanish –American War and World War I
seen as temporary entanglements
lasted from 1898- 1918
followed by a resurgence of isolationism
Major Foreign Policy Themes
(cont.)
The Era of Internationalism
began with bombing of Pearl Harbor,and U.S,
entry into World War II
resulted in significant increases in defense
spending
emerged from World War II with a strengthened
economy
controlled nuclear weapons
Major Foreign Policy Themes (cont.)
The Cold War – the ideological,political and economic
impasse that existed between the U.S,and the Soviet
Union following the end of their World War II alliance
o during the Cold War,U.S,foreign policy was dominated by
containment,the idea limiting Communist power to its (then)
existing countries
o the Cuban Missile Crisis was the closest the superpowers came to
direct confrontation
o détente between the U.S,and the Soviet Union occurred in the late
1960’s and early 1970’s
o during the 1980’s the Reagan administration lobbied for the
development of the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI or,Star
Wars),and also negotiated significant arms control treaties
o the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the developments in
Eastern Europe made negotiating arms control more difficult,as
nuclear weapons are now held by a number of sovereign nations,
rather than one,
Hot Links to Selected Internet
Resources,
? Book’s Companion Site,
http://politicalscience.wadsworth.com/schmidtbrie
f2004
? Wadsworth’s Political Science Site,
http://politicalscience.wadsworth.com
? U.S,Department of State,http://www.state.gov
? The Brookings Institution,http://www.brook.edu
? Central Intelligence Agency,http://www.cia.gov
Foreign Policy
What is Foreign Policy?
~ a nation’s external goals and techniques and
strategies used to achieve them
~ American foreign policy includes national
security policy,which is policy designed to
protect the independence and the political
and economic integrity of the United States
Tools of Foreign Policy
o diplomacy – the process by which states carry on
relations with each other (can also mean settling
conflicts among nations through peaceful means)
o economic aid – assistance to other nations through
grants,loans or credits to buy the assisting
nation’s products
o technical assistance – sending individuals with
expertise in agriculture,engineering or business to
aid other nations
Competing Views of Foreign
Policy
Moral Idealism – one theory of how nations
act,it views all nations as willing to
cooperate and agree on moral standards for
conduct
Political Realism – sees each nation acting
principally in its own interest
Current Challenges in World
Politics
o Terrorism
o Nuclear proliferation
o China
o Regional Conflicts
~The Middle East
~The Persian Gulf
~Bosnia
~Kosovo
~Southern Africa
~African Civil Wars
Powers of the President in Making Foreign Policy
Constitutional Powers
? solemnly swears to,preserve,protect and defend the
Constitution of the United States”
? is commander in chief of the military
? can make treaties (which are later ratified by the Senate)
? can enter into executive agreements
? can appoints ambassadors
Informal powers
? has access to information
? is a legislative leader who can influence Congress’s
foreign policy
? can influence public opinion
? can commit the nation morally to a course of action
Other Sources of Foreign Policy
? Department of State
? National Security Council
? The Intelligence Community
? The Department of Defense
Major Foreign Policy Themes
Negative” foreign policy during 1700 and 1800’s
(isolationism)
mistrust of Europe
militarily weak
shaped by the Monroe Doctrine
Spanish –American War and World War I
seen as temporary entanglements
lasted from 1898- 1918
followed by a resurgence of isolationism
Major Foreign Policy Themes
(cont.)
The Era of Internationalism
began with bombing of Pearl Harbor,and U.S,
entry into World War II
resulted in significant increases in defense
spending
emerged from World War II with a strengthened
economy
controlled nuclear weapons
Major Foreign Policy Themes (cont.)
The Cold War – the ideological,political and economic
impasse that existed between the U.S,and the Soviet
Union following the end of their World War II alliance
o during the Cold War,U.S,foreign policy was dominated by
containment,the idea limiting Communist power to its (then)
existing countries
o the Cuban Missile Crisis was the closest the superpowers came to
direct confrontation
o détente between the U.S,and the Soviet Union occurred in the late
1960’s and early 1970’s
o during the 1980’s the Reagan administration lobbied for the
development of the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI or,Star
Wars),and also negotiated significant arms control treaties
o the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the developments in
Eastern Europe made negotiating arms control more difficult,as
nuclear weapons are now held by a number of sovereign nations,
rather than one,
Hot Links to Selected Internet
Resources,
? Book’s Companion Site,
http://politicalscience.wadsworth.com/schmidtbrie
f2004
? Wadsworth’s Political Science Site,
http://politicalscience.wadsworth.com
? U.S,Department of State,http://www.state.gov
? The Brookings Institution,http://www.brook.edu
? Central Intelligence Agency,http://www.cia.gov
