foreign policy notes
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7/29/2019 Foreign Policy Notes
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Betty Wang
International Relations
Foreign Policy Notes
“How U.S. Foreign Policy is Made
”
Foreign policing making is more complicated in U.S. than other liberaldemocracies.
Constitution makes it a struggle between the President and Congress.
Actors are ambiguous.
American Foreign Policy:
o What we believe in or want
o How to get it
o How we treat other countries
Branches and Foreign Policy
Power split between branches for checks and balances. Senate:
o Congress controls government spending.
o Senate advises and approves of presidential agreements and appointments.
o Congress has increased involvement in foreign affairs post-Vietnam War, but can still be circumvented by the President.
o Power to declare war: the right to respond to presidential request
President:o President serves as head of state and head of government, which are
separate positions in most other states.
o Head of state: face of America
o Head of government: ~brains of Americao Specific foreign policy powers include:
Commander in Chief of Army and Navy
Nominates and appoints ambassadors and public ministers (with
Senate approval) Makes treaties (with Senate approval)
Executive agreements (modern day treaties) Covert Operations (without Senate approval, eg. Bin Laden
mission)
Receive foreign ambassadors, recognize foreign governments
Determine national agenda Decide diplomatic course of action
Policymaking Machinery
Making (decision) involves:
o President
o Executive branch
o Congress
o Public
Conducting (action) involves:
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Betty Wang
International Relations
o President
o Executive branch
Pre-WWII:o Department of State and Secretary of State managed foreign affairs. Their
functions include:
Negotiating with foreign states Defending U.S. position abroad
Reporting on international institutions
Promoting international relations
Protecting overseas nationals
Advancing U.S. trade
The Pentagon and Security
Post-WWII: heightened security and especially military power
o Head of Defense Department: civilian secretary in
Presidential Cabinet
o Joint Chiefs of Staff: strategy board of Army, Air Force,Navy and Marine Corps senior officials
o Principal military advisor to President: chairman of Joint
Chiefs of Staff
o National Security Council (NSC): President, Vice President,
Secretaries of State and Defense, Chairman of Joint Chiefs
of Staff
o Department of Homeland Security (2003): newest, powerful
addition altering foreign policy making roles
Intelligence
o Collect, assess, disseminate information and secretoperations
o : CIA, National Security Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency
Formation of Foreign Policy
o No clearly defined system/process
o Clusters of interests, variety of views
o (H ow was response to “Arab Spring” uneven? )
o Public opinion plays big role, since W. Wilson
o (How is public opinion collected and measured? )
“Foreign Policy: Domestic Influences”
Bureaucracies
Diplomats:
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Betty Wang
International Relations
o Diplomats, embassies, consulates, ambassadors, foreign
ministry: maintained/sent by most states
o Two types: political appointees or career diplomats
o Diplomats carry out foreign policies, rather than create
them
o The change in officials does not alter a country’s
relations. National interests are served by stable national
goals and positions in international affairs.
o Politicians try to control bureaucratic agencies; some
appoint friends, others appoint rivals.
Interagency Tensions
o Clashes occur between different departments in tug-of-war
fashion.
o Departments usually promote policies based on own vested
interests.
Iran 1979: CIA wanted military rescue, State Dpt
opposed
o Sometimes representatives forgo interests to side with
President; sometimes unpredictable.
o Also inter-unit contentions.
o Tensions mean that states are not unitary actors
internationally. It has no single set of goals, but
objectives resulting from subunit clashes and bargaining.
Interest Groups
o Foreign policy is affected by public opinion from both homeand abroad.
o Even in dictatorships.
o Interest groups: coalitions of people sharing common
interest on a political issue, and organize together to
affect the outcome.
E.g. French farmers lobby, protest, threaten, insert
political pressure
o Lobbying: talking with officials to influence decision on
issue(s)
1. Gain audience2. Have good arguments3. Trade Favors (may be legal or illegal)
o Ethnic groups, even small ones can be a big influence
E.g. Cuban Americans, Greek Americans, Jewish
Americans, African Americans
Public Opinion
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Betty Wang
International Relations
o What citizens think about foreign policy issues.
o Every government needs legitimacy, not only force.
o Authoritarian governments exert propaganda (public promotion
of their official line), often through state controlled media,
which is now challenged by new ICT development.
Press versus Government
Watchdog Manipulate, feed
Uncover, publicize Leak secrets
Critic Rely on
<-Information ->
o Success of wars affects hold of office
E.g. Margaret Thatcher after 1982 Falkland Islands war
(+)o Referendum sometimes directly decides foreign policy issue
Not so much in U.S. as Switzerland, Denmark, etc.
o Public opinion affects domestic policy more than foreign policy, because
international relations requires more:
Secrecy
Unity
Diplomacy
o In Japan, however, public opinion is key in checking military expansion.
o Attentive public: small population of active followers of world issues.
States
On foreign policy making
Public opinion
(not unified, varies w/ time)
Interest groups Bureaucracies
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International Relations
o Elite: most active members of above, with power and influence to affect
foreign policy
o Sometimes governments can act just to gain approval/legitimacy.
o “Rally ‘round the flag’ syndrome: undertakes foreign military intervention
to gain public support and to distract from home problems.
o Part of diversionary foreign policy.
o Dragging wars antagonizes supporters
1982 Falkland Islands War, Argentinians replaced militarygovernment and prosecuted former leaders.
2006~, G.W. Bush popularity deflated, party lost Congress, House,Senate, presidency
Legislatureso Pass budgets, regulate bureaucratic rules, create trade law, control
immigration policy, approve signing of executive agreements
o Controlling money is a big power.
o Presidents have more power when their party controls the Congress.
o In parliamentary systems (U.K.) executives are chosen by the dominantlegislative party, and do not submit policies for legislature approval.
Legislature does approve change to British law.