Transcript foreign policy decisions

Essential Questions – Role of
the United States in the World
Should the United States be actively
involved in world affairs?
 Should the United States use military
force to protect its interests abroad?
 Should the United States act alone or
with other nations?
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Should the United States be
actively involved in world affairs?
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Isolationism
A policy of noninvolvement in world
affairs.
Means avoiding
alliances with other
states and following a
strict neutrality – a
policy of not taking
sides in a dispute.
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Internationalism
A policy of
involvement in world
affairs.
Should the United States be
actively involved in world affairs?
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Isolationism (cont’d.)
U.S. isolationism was directed
against Europe – no other part
of the world.
Did not mean cultural or
commercial separation, just
political (Europe’s wars).
Taken to the extreme, a policy
of trying to avoid war may
result in appeasement –
buying off an aggressor by
giving in to its demands,
usually resulting in the
sacrifice of principles.
Should the United States use military force
to protect its interests abroad?
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Interventionism
Policy of using military force, or the threat of
force, to interfere in another nation’s internal
affairs.
U.S. interventionism has often meant sending
American troops into other nations to protect
U.S. interests.
Covert (undercover) operations are a form of
interventionism.
Should the United States use military force
to protect its interests abroad?
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Noninterventionism
A policy of not interfering in the internal affairs
of other nations.
Generally opposed to sending U.S. troops into
other countries.
Pacifism: Opposition to war or violence as a
means of settling disputes (often based on moral
or religious grounds).
Should the United States act alone
or with other nations?
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Unilateralism
A policy of acting alone, with apparent
disregard to what the world thinks.
Supporters believe that international
coalitions and agreements sometimes
hamper America’s ability to pursue its
foreign policy objectives.
U.S. today, though changing.
Should the United States act alone
or with other nations?
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Multilateralism
A policy of acting together with other nations.
Means to consult with and work together with
other nations to achieve common goals.
Means to work and cooperate with international
organizations such as the United Nations to
solve global problems.
Strength in numbers; collaboration.
U.S. from 1945-2001.