290 likes | 301 Views
Foreign Policy. Types of politics . Majoritarian politics: Everyone benefits; everyone pays (military, treaties) Interest groups politics: one small group benefits, another small group pays (regulating cable companies)
E N D
Types of politics • Majoritarian politics: Everyone benefits; everyone pays (military, treaties) • Interest groups politics: one small group benefits, another small group pays (regulating cable companies) • Client politics: everyone pays, one small group benefits (farm/dairy subsidies) • Entrepreneurial politics: everyone benefits, one group pays (antipollution laws)
The American President in FP • Compared with the leaders of other nations, the ability of a U.S. president during times of foreign crisis is more limited. • Why? • Example?
The American President has greater powers over foreign than domestic issues. • Why is this? • Example?
How frequently have presidents sent troops abroad? Should presidents based FP decisions on popular opinion?
Foreign Policy • In general: our policy towards other countries • Major players: • President-Commander in Chief, Treaties, Appointments, bully pulpit, leader of the free world, voice of the nation
Joint Chiefs of Staff-heads of each military service. No longer command troops directly, but help in defense planning. 1947 National Security Act separated the branches. Why? Chairman General Martin Dempsey
Secretary of State- First cabinet position, head diplomat for the US abroad, advises the president, negotiates treaties/emergency diplomatic manager
National Security Advisor • Serves on National Security Council, does not need Senate confirmation; in crisis-talks with President in WH “Situation Room” (Susan Rice since 2013). Supported by the National Security Council staff that produces research, briefings, and intelligence. Coordination of all agencies
Department of Homeland Security (post 9/11) • Coast Guard, Federal Protective Service, Customs, Border Patrol, Secret Service, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Transportation Security Agency (organize communications to keep our country safe)
Military-Industrial Complex?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xB2JBghZ_MU • Alleged alliance between military leaders and corporate leaders. • Should we be concerned about this “alliance”?
Options • Isolationism-withdraw • Containment-resist expansion (especially USSR) • Disengagement-avoid more Vietnams • Human Rights interventions-improve lives of others • Preemption vs Obama Doctrine? • No matter what the president does, however, any action seems to cause his popularity to rise! Why?
Compare and contrast the general public to foreign policy leaders in the US…
Compare and contrast liberals with conservatives on military intervention/spending…
Why was WWII the turning point in the way we handled military spending?
Maps on pages 546-547 • Label the following countries (Iran, Iraq, Panama, Cuba, Kuwait, Persian Gulf): • What do you notice about US military involvement in these regions? • Based on these interventions, what would our foreign policy “look like” to an outsider?
Modern military issues: • Women in combat? • Gays in the military? • Sexual harassment/assault in the military?
Implications? • Americans' perceptions of how other nations view the U.S. have not changed in the past year, but their opinions of how world leaders view the president have. Now, Americans believe other world leaders generally do not respect Obama. This could be related to a series of tense moments in the past year between Obama and prominent foreign leaders, many of whom are close U.S. allies. • Americans themselves are not overly positive about the way the president is handling foreign affairs specifically, with 40% approving of his job in that area, one percentage point above his low last November. • Obama has had some success in foreign policy lately, most notably the progress the U.S. and other nations are having in getting Iran to agree to limits on its nuclear capabilities. But Obama faces several challenges, including winding down U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, the ongoing civil war in Syria, and North Korea's continued actions. To the extent Obama manages these challenges successfully, Americans' views of his competence on international matters, and of world leaders' opinions of him, could improve.
Environmental policy • The LAW (page 564) • Acid Rain • Pesticides • Automobile pollution • Global Warming • Break into these groups. Read your section, explain how it illustrates a certain type of politics. Then explain why there may not be an “easy” fix to this problem. • Share out