11/5/2013
Foreign and Defense Policy
Chapter 18
Definitions
Foreign Policy – encompasses how one country builds
relationships with other countries in order to safeguard its
national interest
Defense Policy – focuses on the strategies that a country
uses to protect itself from the enemies
Diplomacy – the 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
1
11/5/2013
Types of Reactions to Foreign and
Defense Policy
Isolationism – A national policy of avoiding participation in foreign
affairs. George Washington warned against entangling alliances.
Unilateralism – A national policy of acting without consulting
others
Multilateralism – US should use its military and diplomatic power
in the world in cooperation with other nations and international
organizations. The best option today.
Moralism – the policy of emphasizing morality in foreign affairs
Pragmatism – the policy of taking advantage of a situation for
national gain
Isolationism in the Early
Republic
Great Britain v. France
Hamilton favored British; Jefferson favored French
Isolationism
Sidestepping “entangling alliances”
George Washington’s Farewell Address
Monroe Doctrine
Warned European powers to stay away from the
Western Hemisphere
2
11/5/2013
United States as an Emerging Power
Trade Policy and Commerce
Tariffs - Taxes on imports used to raise government revenue and to
protect infant industries.
Most favored nation status- received lower tariffs
Continental Expansion and Manifest Destiny
Major land takings and purchases (Louisiana Purchase, TX)
Divine plan for expansion to the Pacific (Manifest Destiny)
Dominance over the Western Hemisphere
Roosevelt Corollary – Teddy Roosevelt sent Navy to Panama to
help it gain independence from Columbia. Later built the Panama
Canal in 1914.
Interests in Asia
Open door for China
Japan contained through international agreements
Political Cartoon: How Did the Roosevelt
Corollary Affect American Foreign Policy?
3
11/5/2013
World War I and the Interwar
Years
18.1
U.S. initially neutral
European immigrants to U.S. deeply divided about the war
German submarine warfare
Wilson: fighting “to make the world safe for democracy”
U.S. entered war in 1917
League of Nations
“collective security”
Never approved
Disarmament and Isolationism
The United States as a World Power
World War II and Its Aftermath
Pearl Harbor - U.S. naval base in Hawaii attacked by Japan
on December 7, 1941, initiating U.S. entry into WWII.
Entry into the war transformed American society
Birth of the nuclear age
Focus on keeping the peace
US helped create the United Nations (former League of
Nations)
An international governmental organization created shortly
before the end of WWII to guarantee the security of nations
and to promote global economic, physical, and social wellbeing
US became permanent members of U.N. Security
Council
America’s role: “leader of the free world”
4
11/5/2013
The United States as a World Power
World War II and Its Aftermath
President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Active role in diplomacy
Economic Peace
International Monetary Fund (IMF) – Mandate
to stabilize international financial relations through
fixed monetary exchange rates
World Bank – Provides loans for large economic
development projects
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
(GATT) Devised shortly after WWII as an interim
agreement until a World Trade Organization could be
created to help lower tariffs and increase trade
The Cold War and
Containment
The Cold War and Containment
Cold War - Defining feature of the
international system from the end of World
War II to collapse of communism in late
1980s and early 1990s
Containment - Opposition to Soviet expansion
Deterrence
Stockpile of nuclear weapons
“Mutually assured destruction” (MAD)
5
11/5/2013
How Did World War II Change U.S. Foreign
Policy?
The Cold War in Europe
Truman Doctrine - U.S. policy initiated in 1947 of providing
economic assistance and military aid to countries fighting
against communist revolutions or political pressure
Marshall Plan - European Recovery Program, named after
Secretary of State George C. Marshall, of extensive U.S. aid to
Western Europe after WWII
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (1950) - Collective
security pact with US and allies
Warsaw Treaty Organization or Warsaw Pact - Signed in
Warsaw, Poland in 1955…communists version of NATO
Berlin Wall - Divided communist East Berlin from democratic
West Berlin
6
11/5/2013
The Cold War in Latin America
Cuba
Fidel Castro came to power in 1959
Bay of Pigs - 1961
Disastrous attempt to send armed exiles back to Cuba
Cuban Missile Crisis - 1962
Closest world has been to nuclear war
President Kennedy established naval blockade of Cuba
to prevent installation of Soviet missiles
Lasted two weeks; Soviets backed down
The Vietnam War
Failed attempt by France to reassert
colonial rule
France withdrew 1954; Vietnam divided into
communist North and non-communist South
North tried to unify two halves by force
President Lyndon B. Johnson
Sent troops to fight North
Conflict became unpopular with Americans
President Richard M. Nixon
Tried to turn over fighting to South Vietnamese
Ultimately, communist North prevailed
7
11/5/2013
Détente and Human Rights
President Richard M. Nixon
In 1969 declared end to “era of confrontation” and started
of “era of negotiation” with Soviets
Era called détente…relaxation of tensions between the
U.S. and the Soviet Union that occurred during the 1970s.
Better relations with China
Strategic Arms Limitations Treaties – limited the stockpiling
and deployment of nuclear weapons
President Jimmy Carter
Changed direction to focus on human rights
Targeted the shah of Iran as human right abuser
Following shah’s exile, radical Iranians took American
embassy employees hostage
The End of the Cold War
Reagan Doctrine
Commitment to combating communism by providing
military aid to anti-communist groups
Nicaragua
Reagan authorized creation of the Contras, an armed
guerilla group, to fight communist Sandinista
government in Nicaragua
Funded by selling arms to Iranian militants: the IranContra Affair
Mikhail Gorbachev’s reforms
Soviet leader’s economic and political reforms meant to
strengthen communism that led to its defeat
8
11/5/2013
The Post-Cold War World
Persian Gulf War - Operation Desert Storm
China
U.S. sought stronger ties to China, however:
China attacked pro-democracy demonstrators in Tiananmen
Square in 1989
President Bill Clinton
Democratic enlargement: actively promoting expansion of
democracy and free markets
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between US,
Canada and Mexico to eliminate barriers of trade
Human rights: Somalia and Kosovo
World Trade Organization – agency designed to enforce the
provisions of the GATT and resolve trade disputes between
nations.
September 11, 2001 and the
War on Terrorism
President George W. Bush
Backed away from Clinton’s policy of intervening in
humanitarian crises
September 11 and the War in Afghanistan
19 members of al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial
airplanes
Two crashed into World Trade Center, one into the Pentagon
and one in field in Pennsylvania
Global War on terrorism
U.S. demanded that Taliban-led government in Afghanistan
expel al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden
9
11/5/2013
The War in Iraq
President George W. Bush
Broader foreign policy agenda emerged in 2002
Bush declared Iraq, North Korea, and Iran an “axis of evil”
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Divided Americans
Not intended to be a long-drawn out war
Last American combat forces left in December 2011
The Constitution
Constitutional Convention
Foreign policy powers granted to the national government,
not the states
Foreign policy powers divided between the president and
Congress
President is commander in chief
Congress funds military and declares war
President appoints ambassadors, subject to Senate approval
10
11/5/2013
The Executive Branch
The President - Preeminent in foreign policy and military policy
but does not have absolute power. Has access to and control of
information
Department of State – formulates foreign policy
Department of Defense - formulates military policy
Includes the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Central Intelligence Agency - Responsible for collection and
analysis of information and intelligence about foreign countries
and events
National Security Council - Responsible for advising the
president about foreign and defense policy and events. National
Security Advisor meets with President daily.
Department of Homeland Security - created after 9/11 attacks
to coordinate domestic U.S. security efforts against terrorism
The intelligence community - Agencies involved in the
collection and analysis of information
Congress
Oversight
Hearings to monitor agency actions
“Fact-finding” missions abroad
Treaties and Executive Agreements
Treaties require Senate approval, executive agreements
do not
Appointments – Senate approval
Appropriations
Can cut funding for military action
The War Powers Resolution
President reports to Congress within 48 hours
11
11/5/2013
The Judiciary
Limited Role
Tends to dismiss disputes over foreign policy as political
in nature
Tends to be deferential to president in times of war or
threats to security
Civil War
Allowed Lincoln to deploy troops without Congressional
declaration
World War II
Upheld Japanese internment
Guantanamo Bay
Mixed rulings
Interest Groups
Business Groups
Defense industries
Ethnic Interest groups
American-Israel Public Affairs Committee, CubanAmerican National Foundation
Foreign Governments and companies
Acquiring foreign aid, preventing hostile bills
Ideological-public interest groups
Think tanks, nongovernmental organizations
Brookings Institution, Heritage Foundation
Amnesty International, Greenpeace
12
11/5/2013
Trade
Trade
Protectionism, strategic trade, free trade
Making Trade Policy
Bilateral, regional and global free trade models
The Case of China
Bilateral trade relationship has grown dramatically
over past three decades
3 issues of concern: loss of American jobs, trade
deficit, safety of Chinese imports
Who are the United States’ major trading
partners?
13
11/5/2013
Terrorism
Violence designed to achieve political
intimidation and instill fear
Making counterterrorism policy
Four tools: diplomacy, military power, economic power,
covert action
The case of al-Qaeda
Militant Islamic terrorist group founded in Pakistan in
late 1980s
Headed by Osama bin Laden at time of September 11,
2001 attacks
Now more decentralized
Nuclear Weapons
Three reasons why countries pursue
nuclear power
Independent defense, pursuit of international influence,
domestic pressures
Making arms proliferation policy
Disarmament, arms control, denial and
counterproliferation
The case of North Korea
Almost no direct diplomatic contacts between U.S. and
North Korea
Various talks have started, but failed
14
11/5/2013
New Challenges in American
Foreign Policy
Economic growth and influence of China, India, Brazil and
Russia (BRIC Countries)
European debt troubles
Pandemics – SARS, Bird Flu, Swine Flu, and others to come
Piracy, Sweatshops, Pharmaceutical Sales
Drug Trade
Immigration
The Environment
Regional Conflicts
American public opinion
Should we reopen the draft?
15