American Approach to Foreign Policy Flashcards
When did the US become the sole global power?
1945
After WWII
Cold War
1946-1991
US focused on containing Soviet expansion that led to series of proxy wars globally and nuclear arms race.
What happened to containment following the Cold War?
No effective replacements
What event shattered post-Cold War tranquility?
9/11 attacks leading to “War on Terror”
Indispensable Nation
US’s unmatched ability to respond to global crises
INTERNAL causes of US decline in global power?
- Massive national debts
- Trade deficits
- High levels of economic inequality
- Unstable government
- Growing division between citizens.
EXTERNAL causes of US decline in global power?
Changing global balance of power
What is US foreign policy a reflection of?
“peculiar nation style”
3 main roots of US foreign policy
- Geographic position
- Abundant natural resources
- Unique political culture
How does US geographic position add to foreign policy?
- Only 2 neighbors
- Isolated from Europe by ocean
What foreign policy did George Washington promote
Isolationism
Why did George Washington promote that foreign policy?
Due to America’s distance from Europe. (Avoid entangling alliances)
Benefit of isolationism
Allowed US to focus on commerce and internal development
How long did isolationism/detachment last?
18th century to 20th century
US foreign policy pre-1945
US only engaged in interventions across oceans when asked to do so by other countries
What was US considered pre-1945
“Empire by invitation”
Why did US get involved in WWI?
- Societal values of US were being threatened.
- If Germany won = US would become a militarized state
How do abundant natural resources aid US foreign policy?
Made US wealthiest country in the world.
Political Culture
Ideas & values on how to conduct politics.
Individualism
Individuals matter, & society is just collection of individuals.
* No separate group rights.
What makes US political culture so unique?
- Individualism
- Preferance for democracy
- Nationalism
- Suspicion of central authority
Factors of Samuel Hunt’s “American Creed”
- Liberty
- Equality
- Individualism
- Democracy
- Rule of Law
What did Hunt say would happen if we fail to live up to our own values?
Public cynicism & call to return to “first principles” which is chaotic and destabilizing.
What is US foreign policy divided between?
detachment vs. moral campaign
Detachment
US should promote global commerce, but otherwise have little contact with other countries.
Moral campaign
Promote democracy because US is an “exceptional country”
What does it mean to be an “exceptional country?”
US was once an exception to the standard of being ruled by a monarchy
Where does moral campaign stem from?
- Jefferson’s “Empire of Liberty”
- Wilson’s “National Self-determination”
- Manifest Destiny
- Westward Expansion
Manifest Destiny
Divine right to possess the whole continent. When US expands, so does democracy.
What was Manifest Destiny used to justify?
Intervention in Latin American affairs in 19th century
American Exceptionalism
US was exceptional based on values of individual libertu, limited govt., and robust civil society
Key themes of 5 key historical eras from 1776-1945
- President is key figure in foreign policy
- Largely disinterested in European affairs
- More concerned with domestic affairs & westward expansion
- As US grows economically, so does its ambition.
When was Revolutionary War & Independence Era?
1776-1800
Who was US 1st major ally in Revolutionary War
France
When was French Revolution?
1793
Effect of French Revolution?
War between Britain and France.
Pacificus-Helvidus Debates
Conflict between Hamilton, Jefferson, & Madison over relations with Revolutionary France.
Effect of French Revolution on US
Growing division between US society over how to respond to French Rev.
Jay Treaty of 1794
Allowed trade between US and Britain
Effect of Jay Treaty of 1794
Normalized relations with Britain. Resolved lingering issues after Revolutionary War.
When was Expansion and Preservation Era?
1801-1865
When was Louisiana Purchase?
1803
Why was the Louisiana Purchase controversial?
Jefferson bought Louisiana from Napoleon without Congress’s consent.
Monroe Doctrine of 1828
Proclaimed Western Hemisphere as free from future European colonization.
What did Monroe Doctrine establish?
US sphere of influence in the Americas. Only US can intervene.
When was Texas annexed?
1845
When was the Mexican War?
1846-1848
Why was the Mexican War significant?
1st war of US expansion
How did Mexican War benefit US?
Aquired California & other western territories from Mexico.
When was the era of Emergence as a Global Power?
1865-1919
How did turbulent economy impact Post-Civil War US?
Created Isolationist period
What caused rises and falls in US economy in 1865?
railroads
When was Alaska purchased from Russia?
1867
When was the Spanish American War?
1898
Why was Spanish-American War significant?
Creates an American empire for the first time.
What territories were gained following Spanish-American War?
- Cuba
- Philippines
- Guam
- Other Spanish holdings in the Pacific
What was the US’s first entry into a European war?
WWI
When was the era of Isolationism Resurgence?
1919-1941
What led to the Great Depression in 1929?
Stock market crash
Who became President in 1933?
FDR
What was FDR’s goal as president?
To improve relations with USSR and Latin America
Why did WWII begin?
Invasion of Poland
When did WWII begin?
September of 1929
When did US get involved in WWII?
December of 1945
What led to US entering WWII?
Pearl Harbor attack by Japanese.
When was the Creating Post-War World Era?
1941-1945
Atlantic Charter
Joint declaration of FDR and Churchill to set certain principles that would govern world affairs.
When was the Atlantic Charter signed?
August of 1941
Two main points of Atlantic Charter
- Rejection of territorial aggrandizment
- Rejection of use of force
Declaration by the United Nations
26 countries committing to principles of Atlantic Charter
When was Declaration by the United Nations signed?
January 1942
Bretton Woods
Proposals discussed for structure of a new system of international organizations
When was the Bretton Woods?
Fall of 1944
When was the Yalta Conference?
Spring of 1945
Yalta Conference
Discussion with FDR and Stalin on post-war division of post-war Europe.
Why do some see US foreign policy as dominated by & serving capitalist and financial class?
- US interest stemmed from economic crises in US.
- Foreign countries as source of raw goods
- Foreign countries were markets for US products.
