Major Aspects of US Foreign Policy

1. Major Aspects of US Foreign Policy 26 September 2013 by Sigrid Brevik Wangsness

2. Outline • Introduction:WhoDecides US Foreign Policy? • Major Trends/ Events in US Foreign Policy • The Waron Terror • Responses to US Foreign Policy • Current US Foreign Policy

3. Who Decides US Foreign Policy? The President has several powers that make him the single most important figure in US foreign policy today, yet these powers are limited by Congress and other important institutions and lobby groups.

4. HISTORICAL OVERVIEWMajor Trends in US foreign Policy 1.Expansionism  18th century and earlier. 19th century 2.Isolationism  The leading principle until WW II 3. Interventionism/ Internationalism  Esp. after WW II, but also earlier 4. Unilateralism  The USA acting on its own 5. Moralism vs. realism

5. Neutrality, Isolationism and Expansionism 1776:Independence. Neutrality in foreign affairs The first century after Independence: • Avoidance of war with European powers: “no entangling alliances”. • 1823: The Monroe Doctrine (Comp.: p.118) • “Manifest Destiny” (Comp.: p.119) Acquired the whole continent. Expansion into Mexico in the 1840s.

6. Interventionism vs. Isolationism • 1890s-1917: Intervention in Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines and several Latin American countries • Involved in WWI in 1917 • Return to isolationism in the inter- war years: The SenaterejectedtheLeagueofNations

7. Interventionism and Internationalism • Involved in WWII when attacked at Pearl Harbour on 7 December 1941 • Since WWII: No more isolationism • From 1945 to 1990: Cold War  fight communism all over the world 1947: The Truman Doctrine The Marshall Plan

8. The Cold War Era, 1946-1992 • 1950s/60s: The Age of Containment Stop communist expansion (”red scare”) • 1970s/80s (post-Vietnam period ): Détente Less tension/improved relations • 1972: China recognized (Nixon) Better relations with the Soviet Union: The SALT Treaty.

9. The Cold War Era, 1946-1992 • The Reagan era: US-USSR relations From “evil empire” to the INF Treaty. START. Gorbachev. Super power negotiations over nuclear weapons. • US unilateral actions: Grenada, Nicaragua, Libya: The “world policeman” helping peoples threatened by anti- American regimes…

10. End of the Cold War • 1989: The Fall of the Wall • 1991:The Gulf War. Backed by the U.N. The US and the USSR on the same side! George Bush Sr. • Disintegration of the Soviet Union (1992) • The USA as the only superpower

11. The Post-Cold War Era The Balkans: • 1995: Diplomacy (Clinton) and NATO bombing to get a peace agreement in Bosnia. • 1999: The Kosovo War. NATO. Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary joined NATO despite Soviet opposition.

12. Bill Clinton vs. George Bush • Clinton's world diplomacy in the Middle East, China, Africa, Russia, Northern Ireland. • Until Sept. 2001: The new Bush Administration's foreign policy: Review its international commitments = refusal to sign many international treaties.  Signs of a new isolationism

13. September 11, 2001 • 9/11 2001: Terrorist attacks on New York and Washington D.C. • Immediate reactions? • Why such an enormous impact? The USA’s global war on terrorism • Support by the UN and NATO • Oct. 2001: Bombing of Afghanistan to take Bin Laden

14. Moralism vs. realism • Origin of the USA: A refuge for all people, a model of democracy, a sense of moral superiority, a unique mission • 1917: “Make the world safe for democracy” • 1947: The Marshall Plan: Humanitarian concerns, but also economic revival • 2003: Like the Cold War, the Iraq War was seen as a battle between democracy and tyranny, good and evil

15. Invasion of Iraq • 2003: Invasion of Iraq – a national security issue? • No UN resolution • Antagonized many old allies, but support from the UK, Spain, Portugal • Massive public protests

16. The War on Terror • To what extent did 9/11 change US foreign policy? • The Bush Doctrine: 1. Unilateralism 2. Pre-emptive warfare 3. Preventative action/ preventive measures 4. Regime Change

17. The War on Terror • The War against the Taliban Why considered necessary? • The War against Iraq = The “coalition of the willing” Why so controversial?

18. Response to the War on TerrorReactions from Abroad From sympathy to strong anti-Americanism: Why? • Arrogance of power • Invasion of an independent nation: lack of progress in the war • Deaths and destruction

19. Response to the War on TerrorReactions from Abroad • Credibility gap 1. Historical inconsistencies 2. Lack of trust: no WMD 3. Assumed moral superiority vs. torture, breaking human rights (Guantanamo)

20. Response to the War on Terror Reactions from the American Public • George Bush’s loss of popularity: polarization • The costs of the Iraq war: both in human and material terms • The public misled? • The Patriot Act: abuse of power by the government? Security vs. Liberty • To what extent has the war on terror been a success?

21. The Obama Administrations’ Foreign Policy • What are some of the main issues the two Obama Administrations have had to deal with? • Secretaries of State: Hillary Clinton and John Kerry (Compendium, pp.133-137) • Mr. Obama’s achievements in foreign policy? • Mr. Obama’s failures in foreign policy?

22. Current US Foreign Policy • The Syrian crisis (Comp. pp. 138-139 + follow events) • What about Iran? • The US and Russia • A new role for the USA? A new isolationism? • The relationship to China • Oil and energy • What about Europe?