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CHAPTER 16
Foreign Policy
America’s Role in the World
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
Isolationism – a belief that American should not involve itself
in the quarrels of other countries, and instead should pursue
a policy of military nonintervention


An exception was made for WWI, after which America withdrew
from world affairs once more in a trend that lasted into the
1930s.
Internationalism – a foreign policy perspective concluding
that America’s interest in peace abroad and liberty at
home requires its permanent involvement in world affairs

Internationalism became the dominant school of thought after
WWII.

America took the lead in the formation of the United Nations in
1945.
America’s Role in the World
(continued)
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
The Cold War and Post-Cold War Era

Problems began during WWI.I

America worked closely with Great Britain and left the Soviet
Union out during the atomic bomb project.

President Truman curtailed military supplies to the Soviets.

The Soviets contended that they were never treated as a
genuine ally by the United States.

Ideological differences added to the lack of trust.

American insistence on free elections in Eastern Europe
was resented by the Soviet Union.
America’s Role in the World
(continued)
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

The Truman Doctrine – a policy, proclaimed by President
Harry Truman in 1947, in which the United States would
oppose the expansion of communism anywhere in the world
The Marshall Plan – began after WWII as an American
program for the economic rehabilitation of Western Europe


The Soviet Union responded to these two endeavors by tightening
their control over Eastern Europe.
The Cold War did see real military conflict.

Korean conflict (1950-1952)

The American military was deployed to the Korean peninsula when
communist forces crossed into South Korea.
America’s Role in the World
(continued)
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 Vietnam
conflict (1961-1973)
A
decade of heavy fighting resulted in a U.S. loss of
over 50,000 lives.
 These
conflicts contributed to the formation of two new
approaches to dealing with communism known as
“détente” and the Nixon Doctrine.


Détente is a French word meaning “relaxation” and
applies to an approach designed to ease tensions
between the United States and the Soviet Union in the
early 1970s.
The Nixon Doctrine was a policy proclaimed by
President Nixon in 1969 which stipulated that the
United States would support its allies with economic
and military aid, but that the allies should provide the
bulk of the manpower for their own defense.
America’s Role in the World
(continued)
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
Post-Cold War America
 The
cold war came to an end with two events.
 By
the end of 1989, all of the governments of the Soviet
Union’s Eastern allies had collapsed. The Warsaw Pact was
in shambles and had, for all intents and purposes, ceased to
exist.
 Germany
was reunited in the summer of 1990, and was
included in the NATO alliance.
 The
United States is constantly redefining its role to
accommodate the changing international sphere.
The Policy Machinery
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
The Department of State
 Responsible
for the routine daily functions of foreign
policy
 Represents
 Involved
in international negotiations
 Supervises
 Promotes
 Makes
the U.S. abroad
foreign aid and programs
cultural and educational exchange
policy recommendations to the president
The Policy Machinery (continued)
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
Heading the department is the secretary of state,
who reports directly to the president.
 Beneath
the secretary are the deputy secretary of
state, six undersecretaries, and a counselor.
 Below
that level are a number of bureaus that monitor
events around the world.
The U.S. Agency for International Development coordinates
economic assistance programs.
 The Arms Control and Disarmament Agency is responsible
for research on arms control and is often involved in the
actual negotiations.
 The Office of International Information Programs directs
overseas information programs.

United States
Department
of State
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In addition to its
headquarters in
Washington, known
as Foggy Bottom, the
State Department
has over 140
embassies abroad,
more than 100
consulates, and 8
special missions to
international
organizations. Yet,
as measured by its
budget and
personnel, it is
among the smaller
executive
departments. Of
particular
importance are
functional bureaus
and geographic
bureaus.
The Policy Machinery (continued)
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
In 1947 the National Security Act established the Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA), responsible for gathering
information and coordinating foreign intelligence operations
in the federal government.
During the cold war, the CIA conducted secret political activities.
 The CIA aided in the installment of pro-American governments in
Iran and Guatemala.
 Presidents Ford and Carter set firm limits on CIA operations by
placing covert activities under close presidential control.
 The dilemma of the CIA is finding a balance between the
agency’s covert nature and maintaining a democratic society.

The Policy Machinery (continued)
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
In 1947 the National Security Act also established the
Department of Defense, responsible for formulating military
policy and maintaining the armed forces.


Heading the department is the secretary of defense.
It is comprised of three basic organizations: the Office of the Secretary
of Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), and the separate armed
services.


The Joint Chiefs of Staff consist of a chairperson and the heads of various
branches of the military. Until recently the JCS advised the president and
the secretary of defense on important military questions.
Congress plays a limited role, as well, in telling the president what the
executive branch cannot do For example, Congress can limit the
president’s authority to conduct arms sales).

Congress cannot do more when it comes to foreign policy because of
parochialism, organizational weakness, and lack of information.
Department
of Defense
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The Defense
Department is
practically an empire
unto itself. The massive
Pentagon office
building 34 acres and
contains a work force
of over 25,000
people.
Approximately 2.8
million people are
employed by Defense,
over two-thirds of
them in the armed
forces. The Defense
Department is divided
mainly into the Office
of the Secretary of
Defense, the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, and
the three service
departments.
Domestic Policy and National
Security
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

Public moods or general attitudes, rather than individual opinions on
specific questions, are what really influence policy. Some examples are as
follows:
 The Vietnam War created a split in the internationalist consensus between
liberal internationalists and conservative internationalists.
 In the mid-1970s, less than 50 percent of Americans approved of the use
of American troops to support allies.
 Seizure of American hostages in Iran and the Soviet invasion of
Afghanistan in 1979 created another shift in thinking. By 1980, a majority
of Americans supported the use of troops to protect allies.
 Public support never wavered during the Gulf War in 1991.
 American support on the war against terrorism has been mixed.
General moods are important because they can place limits on the choices
available to policymakers.
Multinational Corporations and Banks
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
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
Multination corporations are large corporations based in
one country that have considerable assets and subsidiaries
in other countries. This creates a dilemma in domestic policy
because of economic consequences to government actions.
Corporations lobby for reduction of trade barriers to
increase business.
American banks have become heavily involved in overseas
activities.
Foreign loans and investments give American banks and
corporations a stake in the economics of other countries.
The Military-Industrial Complex
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
The military-industrial complex describes the Pentagon, defense
contractors, unions in the defense industry, members of Congress
whose states or districts receive considerable military funds, and
academic strategists whose work is funded by the military.




Critics say that the influence of the military-industrial complex distorts
our defense policy and weakens our economy.
Critics say the military-industrial complex favors the production of
weapons that are too expensive and often obsolete.
Much of the blame falls on Congress, which frequently funds weapons
systems regardless of their military value simply because they are
produced in the districts of influential members.
Homeland Security has anticipated a need for an increase of
government spending on military power.
Current Issues in Foreign and Defense
Policy
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
Policymakers face painful choices.
 They
must recognize the following:
 The
demands of Congress and the public
 The
concerns of our allies
 The
unpredictable social forces in the developing world
 The
ever present dangers of nuclear arms and other weapons of
mass destruction

The actions of 9/11 and the war on terrorism have
prompted a new era of America foreign and defense
policy.
Current Issues in Foreign and Defense
Policy (continued)
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
President George W. Bush established the National Security
Strategy of the United States of America, calling for a
“distinctly American internationalism that reflects the union
of our values and our national interests.”

The document lays out three goals:


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Political and economic freedom
Peaceful interstate relations
Respect for human dignity
These goals the Bush administration hoped to attain through
strong, worldwide military presence, the encouragement of
free trade and economic development, and the transformation
of national security institutions.
 As a part of this plan, the president created a Department of
Homeland Security.

Current Issues in Foreign and Defense
Policy (continued)
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
Another current issue is the great economic disparity between
wealthy countries and poor countries.

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Developing nations are nations whose standard of living lags far behind
that of the industrialized states.
The International Monetary Fund is a specialized agency of the United
Nations designed to promote international monetary cooperation.
World Bank, another specialized agency of the United Nations, makes
loans to poorer nations for the purpose of economic development.
Due to the interconnectedness of the international sphere, decisions that
directly affect one nation or a group of nations are likely to have some
impact on every other nation as well.
One of the challenges American foreign policy will face in the
twenty-first century will be deciding which values should drive
our economic relations with the rest of the world.