Powers of the President in Foreign Policy
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Transcript Powers of the President in Foreign Policy
Chapter 14
Foreign
&
Defense
Policy
What is Foreign Policy?
Nation’s external goals and
techniques/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
Diplomacy = process by which states carry
on relations with each other (can also mean
settling conflicts among nations through
peaceful means)
Economic aid = assistance to other nations
through grants, loans or credits to buy the
assisting nation’s products
Technical assistance = sending individuals
with expertise in agriculture, engineering or
business to aid other nations
Competing Views of
Foreign Policy
Moral idealism = views nations as willing
to cooperate and agree on moral standards
for conduct; tied to liberal institutionalism,
international organizations (e.g., UN, WTO)
Political realism = sees each nation acting
principally in its own interest; tied to
realpolitik; emphasis on anarchy at the
international system level; maximizing
power, influence; use of alliances; arms
control
US foreign policy consists of both strains
Challenges in World Politics
Terrorism
Nuclear proliferation (along with
proliferation of other WMD’s)
China – increasing power and influence; 21st
Century will be China’s
Global economy – dependence on oil,
attempts to rationalize world economy
Regional conflicts – ongoing; persistent
Powers of the President in
Foreign Policy
Constitutional Powers (expressed and
inherent/implied)
Solemnly swears to “preserve, protect and
defend the Constitution of the United States”
Commander in chief of the military
Make treaties (which are later ratified by the
Senate)
Executive agreements
Appoints ambassadors
Powers of the President in
Foreign Policy, (cont.)
Informal powers
Access to information
Legislative leader who can influence Congress’s
foreign policy
Influence public opinion
Commit nation morally to a course of action
Other Sources of Foreign
Policy
Department of State
Supervises relations with other independent
nations and with multinational organizations
like the United Nations
Staffs embassies
Power has declined since World War II
Has “negative constituents,” Americans who
oppose aspects of U.S. foreign policy
Other Sources of Foreign
Policy (cont.)
National Security Council
Advises the president on policies relating to
national security
Provides continuity from one presidential
administration to the next
Other Sources of Foreign
Policy (cont.)
Intelligence community = includes
government organizations involved in
information gathering about the capabilities
and intentions of other countries
Some agencies in the intelligence community
include
the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
National Security Agency (NSA)
Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Other Sources of Foreign
Policy (cont.)
Department of Defense
Largest federal department, created in
1947
Designed to bring all military activities
under the jurisdiction of a single agency
headed by a civil secretary of defense
Size of military significantly reduced
Seen reductions in civilian employees
Other Sources of Foreign
Policy (cont.)
Congress
Elite opinion
Mass opinion
attentive public = 10-20% of the population that
pays attention to foreign policy issues
Military-industrial complex = mutually
beneficial relationship between armed forces
and defense contractors; concern of
Eisenhower
Major Foreign Policy
Themes
“Negative” foreign policy during 1700 and 1800’s
(Isolationism)
Mistrust of Europe
Militarily weak
Shaped by the Monroe Doctrine (no new European colonies
in the Western Hemisphere; no European intervention; no
US intervention in European affairs)
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.)
Era of Internationalism
Began with bombing of Pearl Harbor and U.S.
entry into World War II
Resulted in significant increases in defense
spending
America emerged from World War II with a
strengthened economy
America was first nuclear superpower
The Cold War
= Ideological, political, and economic impasse
that existed between the U.S. and the USSR
following the end of their WWII alliance
U.S. foreign policy dominated by containment, the
idea of limiting Communist power to its (then)
existing countries (Truman doctrine)
Cuban Missile Crisis (1962) was the closest the
superpowers came to direct confrontation
Détente between the U.S. and the Soviet Union
occurred in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s
The Cold War
(cont.)
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
End of Communist rule in eastern Europe in
1989
Dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991
Discussion questions
Was the invasion of Iraq justified?
What are the most significant foreign policy
challenges facing the world today?
What is the best way to combat terrorism?
Does the executive branch have too much
power in determining foreign and military
policy?
Why is the “attentive public” so small in the
United States?
Hot Links to Selected
Internet Resources:
Book’s Companion Site:
http://politicalscience.wadsworth.com/schmidt
brief2004
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