Transcript Chapter 17: Foreign Policy and National Defense Foreign Affairs

Chapter 17: Foreign
Policy and National
Defense
Foreign Affairs
Foreign Affairs – The nation’s relationships with
other countries
Since World War II, U.S. policy has featured a
broadening of American involvement in global
affairs.
Foreign Policy
Foreign policy - all the stands and actions that a
nation takes in every aspect of its relationships
with other countries.
State Department
Headed by the Secretary of State
President’s right arm in foreign affairs
Defense Department
Defense Department
The Department of the Army
The army is the largest and the oldest of the armed services.
The army consists of standing troops, or the Regular Army, and
its reserve units—the Army National Guard and Army Reserve.
The Department of the Navy
The navy’s major responsibilities are for sea warfare and
defense.
The U.S. Marine Corps, a combat-ready land force, are under
the auspices of navy command.
The Department of the Air Forces
The air force is the youngest branch of the armed services.
The air force’s main responsibility is to serve as the nation’s first
line of defense.
Other Foreign and Defense Agencies
The CIA
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is a key
part of the foreign policy establishment.
The CIA is responsible for collecting, analyzing,
and reporting information for the President and
the NSC.
A full range of espionage, or spying, activities
are undertaken by the CIA.
Other Foreign and Defense Agencies
The Office of Homeland Security
The Office of Homeland Security is part of the
Executive Office of the President. Its director
has cabinet rank.
The office oversees the anti-terrorist efforts of
federal, State, and local agencies, including the
FBI, the CIA, the Coast Guard, and local police
forces.
Other Foreign and Defense Agencies
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) is the independent
agency that deals with the nation’s space policy.
Foreign Policy
For 150 years, the United States had a policy of
isolationism, as stated in George Washington’s Farewell
Address.
The Monroe Doctrine (1823) warned Europe to stay out of
the affairs of North and South America and established the
United States as the hegemonic power of the Western
Hemisphere.
Throughout the nineteenth century, the United States
expanded across the North American continent through both
land purchases and military conquests.
As the United States expanded commercially in the late
nineteenth century, so did the reach of its foreign policy, as
seen in the Good Neighbor policy in effect in Latin America
during the early 1900s, and the Open Door Policy for China
during the same time.
Foreign Policy
World War I
The United States entered World War I after continued
disruptions of American commerce by German
submarine warfare.
After the defeat of Germany and the Central Powers,
the nation retreated to a policy of isolationism.
World War II
The bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941,
drew the United States into World War II, joining the
Allies (the Soviet Union, Britain, and China) fighting
against the Axis Powers (Italy, Japan, and Germany).
World War II led to a historic shift away from
isolationism to an increased role in global affairs by the
United States.
Foreign Aid and Defense Alliances
Foreign aid—economic and military aid to other
countries—has been a basic feature of American
foreign policy for more than 50 years.
Most aid has been sent to those nations
regarded as the most critical to the realization of
this country’s foreign policy objectives.
Foreign Aid and Defense Alliances
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
was formed to promote the collective defense of
Western Europe.
Today, NATO’s purpose has changed. With the
collapse of the Soviet Union, NATO’s goals have
broadened to include peacekeeping roles
United Nations
The United Nations was formed following World War II
to promote peace and security across the globe.
The General Assembly acts as “the town meeting of the
world.”
Oversight and maintenance of international peace is
delegated to the UN Security Council, of which the
United States is a permanent member.
Peacekeeping missions, international aid to children
and women, and investigations and aid for world health
services are all examples of current United Nations
functions.