Chapter 18: Politics and National Security Flashcards
Foreign policy (definition) is
The sum of the goals, decisions, and actions that govern a nation’s relation with the rest of the world
Three components of U.S Foreign Policy
1) Economic component: Foreign aid and Economic sanction
2) Diplomatic component
3) Military component
National policy (definition) is
The basic protection and defense of the nation
The president is both the
Leading diplomat and Commander-in-Chief
The president has the advantage in foreign policy because he has access to
Top secret information not available to anyone else open to anyone else
The Powell Doctrine: The U.S should use military force only:
1) In support of vital national interests
2) If forces are committed, they must have clearly defined military objectives, the destruction of enemy forces and/or the capture of enemy-held territory
3) U.S forces must have sufficient strength to ensure an overwhelming and decisive victory with the fewest possible casualties
4) Before committing to U.S forces, there must be reasonable assurances the effort is supported by America and Congress
5) The use of military force should be a last resort
According to Karl von Clausewitz, military force may be used to
Protect interests that are important, but not necessarily vital
According to Hans Morgenthau, a demonstration of a nation’s military strength serves to
Impress others with that power
According to the view of Clausewitz and Morgenthau, the express or implied threat of military force is needed to
Accomplish diplomatic objectives
Consistent with this view, U.S military forces must be prepared to:
1) Demonstrate U.S resolve in a crisis and support democratic government
2) Protecting U.S citizens living abroad
3) Peacemaking among warring factions or nations
4) Peacemaking, where hostile factions or nations have accepted a peace agreement
5) Providing humanitarian aid under warlike conditions
6) Assisting in an international war against drug trafficking
U.S policy to prevent an enemy to
Expanding its boundaries and/or influence
This was the major U.S foreign policy during
The Cold War to contain the Soviet Union
The Marshall Plan 1947: The U.S program to
Rebuild the economies of the nation of Western Europe after World War II to prevent the spread of communism
Cost $13.3 billion at the time. In today’s dollar, that would equal
$43.5 billion
America pledged to
“Support free people who are resisting” internal or external threats to their freedom
A nation can dissuade a rational enemy from attacking by
Maintaining the ability to destroy the enemy’s homeland even after the nation has suffered a surprise attack by the enemy
Second-strike Capability: A deterrence is based on
A nation maintaining a second-strike capability
The ability of a nation’s forces to survive a surprise nuclear attack by
The enemy and then to retaliate effectively
President George W. Bush’s foreign policy is
Strike First (A.K.A, the Bush Doctrine)
The policy is to pursue, apprehend, and kill terrorists worldwide and stop their
Financing funding and attack countries aiding terrorist organizations
Strike First increased importance on:
1) Having a flexible and rapid military response
2) Accurate intelligence
3) Convert activities
The Obama Doctrine’s characteristics:
1) Emphasis on sanctions to pressure enemies
2) Use of economic aid to address specific crises
3) Supportive role to countries in the Middle East combating terrorists
4) Emphasis on diplomacy,not military pressure
President Trump’s Foreign Policy characteristics:
1) Increasing defense spending
2) Rebuilding and modernizing American military strength
3) Aggressively combating international terrorism
4) Working with allies and partners to confront our enemies
5) Restoring American leadership in the Middle East
The Cold War Begins: In 1946, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill warned the U.S that
The Soviets were dividing Europe with an “Iron Curtain” and this statement signed the start of the Cold War
The Cold War: The political, military, and ideological struggle between the
U.S and the Soviet Union following the end of World War II and ending with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991
The United Nation began in 1945 with the U.S and other world power in an attempt to
Resolve disputes by allowing its members to vote on a proposed course of action
Major Bodies of the United Nations: The Security Council:
1) The Security Council
2) Permanent Members: the U.S, Russia, Britain, France, and China
3) Any of these can veto any action taken by the Security Council
4) Primary Responsibility: maintain international peace and security
The General Assembly: Composed of all member nations, each with one vote. Generally, most resolutions require a
Majority vote to pass
The U.N Modernly: There is currently
196 member nations, most headed by anti-democratic regimes
Western democracies are outnumbered by
Anti-democratic regimes
The United Nation must rely on
The U.S to enforce its resolutions
The United Nations has been riddled by
Scandals which has harmed its reputation
The belief that all nations would join together to
Guarantee each other’s territorial integrity and existing political independence against external aggression by any nation
Collective security is
What the United Nation is based on
In 1949, the U.S and many of the nations of Western Europe formed, what?
NATO (The North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
It is the first and most important collective security pact whose members pledged to
Defend each other if attacked
Regional alliances between
A superpower and nations of a particular region
NATO is based on
This concept (Regional security)
In 1998, the former Soviet-dominated countries of Poland, Hungry, and the Czech Republic were admitted to
NATO and currently has 29 member-nations
The Cuban Missile Crisis
Was the most serious threat of nuclear war
The Cuban Missile Crisis involved the
The Soviet Union placed nuclear missiles in Cuba
President Kennedy ordered
A naval blockade of Cuba