Final Flashcards
What is an alliance?
Formal or informal association of state for the use of military force, unspecified circumstances, against actors external to the alliance
What is a bilateral alliance?
An alliance between two states
What is a multilateral alliance?
An alliance between three or more allies, with defense linkages between each member
What are strategic partners?
Less formal ties because in alliance is too politically sensitive
Why was George Washington against alliances?
Risk of compromising, US moral superiority, risk of losing strategic flexibility, risk that allies would try to interfere in US domestic politics, risk of a militarization of US foreign policy, risk of making new enemies
In what ways was there a post-World War I rejection of European politics?
The US Senate rejected the league of nations, Americans resented the number of US casualties in World War I, and they saw European atrocities as a sign that Europe was irredeemable
What is the effect of Pearl Harbor on alliances?
It convinced US leaders that they needed a strategy of defense in depth and to maintain US bases across the Eurasian continent to stem potential threats, so they needed peacetime alliances
What was America’s new alliance paradigm during the Cold War?
Permanent alliances and a global overseas presence
What area of the world is America’s first priority?
Europe
Why is Europe America’s first priority?
Economic and military potential, historical, cultural, and political affinities with the US, and proximity with the Soviet unions main power centers
What does article 5 of the NATO treaty say?
An armed attack against one or more of them in Europe, or North America, shall be considered an attack against them all
What were the goals of the United States in Europe?
To contain the Soviet union, create the conditions of western European prosperity, entrench US influence in Europe, and prevent Germany’s reemergence
How did western Europe’s dependency on NATO help the US dominate the region?
The US could impose advantageous trade, investment, and business terms on its allies, and dominated European military industries
What is America second priority?
Asia
What alliances does the US have in Asia?
1951: Philippines, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand. 1952: Japan. 1953: South Korea, 1954–1980: Taiwan
What are US objectives in Asia?
Contain the Soviet/China/North Korea, project American power and influence, and check Japan’s potential re-emergence
What were the initial uncertainties and decline of alliances following the end of the Cold War?
US debates about the merits of pulling back, some allies were less fond of US military presence, and the decline of US troops and bases overseas
How many allies does the United States currently have?
68
What percent of the global population is covered under the US global military network?
25%
What percent of the global GDP is among the US defense network?
75%
What percent of global military expenditures are made under the US global military network?
62%
Why do some scholars say alliances convert US interests?
Risk of entrapment in local conflicts, risk of incentivizing allies to be reckless, risk of losing strategic flexibility, risk of major financial burdens, risk of Allies free riding, risk of antagonizing nonmembers
Why do some scholars say alliances are a huge asset?
The US can project military power anywhere, it’s a huge boost for US prestige, the US can avoid entanglement, deter adversaries, opportunity to make other states make concessions
What was the Trump parenthesis?
The Trump administration criticized the cost of US defense contributions, criticized the allies unfair economic policies, and critiqued NATO
What is the Biden administration’s policy concerning allies?
In attempt to reassure allies that America is back from Trump, convergence against China’s global assertiveness, and using the Ukraine war to reassert its credibility with the NATO and beyond
What factors can disrupt America’s alliance network in the future?
A relative decline of US power, especially in Asia, what will happen if trump or a trumpian figure wins the presidency, what are the what if China’s economic appeal continues to grow
What is democracy?
Political model in which the people control the government
What is liberal democracy?
The rule of law, a separation of powers, and the protection of basic liberties of speech, assembly, religion, and property
What are human rights?
A set of principled ideas about the treatment to which all individuals are entitled by virtue of being human
What is the source of US exceptionalism?
Unique political features and providentialism
What are the main tenets of US exceptionalism?
The US has a responsibility to liberate other countries, the international communities traditional rules do not apply to the US, self perception as an innocent victim, exceptionalism triggers threat inflation
What is democracy promotion?
Activities, conducted by foreign actors, explicitly designed to contribute to the political liberalization of autocratic regimes
What is the contagion model of democracy promotion?
Simply being a source of inspiration
What is the conditionality model of democracy promotion?
Imposing sanctions or giving rewards
What is the coercion model of democracy promotion?
Military interventions to topple dictators
What is the dominant narrative about the US democracy promotion?
The most consistent tradition in American foreign policy has been the belief that the nations security is best protected by the expansion of democracy worldwide
What are the features of pre-classical liberal internationalism?
Independence from the British monarchy, against European imperialism in Latin America, manifest destiny, and US backed to constitutional reforms abroad, limited by the force of example, so no intervention
What was classic liberal internationalism?
US is now ready to conduct military interventions to help human rights in democracy, starting in 1898 in the Spanish American war which was partially designed to free the Cuban people
How did president Wilson exemplify classic liberal internationalism?
He said the US would fight World War I to make the world safe for democracy, and connected democracy to peace, but he was disavowed by the Congress and the people of the US
What was hegemonic liberal internationalism?
The US assumes government leadership, and imposes the liberal orders, interdependent foundations like free trade, international organizations and democracy
Why is imposing democracy the most important foundation of the liberal order?
Democracies do not fight each other, they enhance economic development, and are good partners in international organizations
What was democracy promotion like post-Cold War?
Democracy seem to be the end of history, and presidents sought to spread democracy and it’s ideals further
What is the era of progressive imperialism defined by?
Fixing failed states, the democratization of the greater middle east, US push in international organizations, but later, understanding that too aggressive or interventionist vision would be counterproductive
Why are some scholars arguing that America was just had an imperial drive for domination, but use the mantle of democracy and human rights?
The Monroe doctrine was so the US could dominate central and Latin America and America had an informal empire post World War II
What is imperialism?
The process by which one state employees instruments of power to choir control over peripheral peoples and territory, the loss of others liberty is unavoidable
What was the goal of Americas post World War II informal empire?
To extend the American system throughout the world, without the embarrassment of traditional European colonialism, with military bases and interventions, to protect the weak and using the rhetoric of human rights
Why do some scholars argue the US only promotes democracy and human rights when it’s in its interest?
When do US that some thing that advances democracy or human rights is often for other reasons
How many coups and assassinations did the United States commit during the Cold War?
64
How many elections did the United States and the Soviet interfere in?
117
Does the US support or cooperate with dictators?
Yes, including Saddam Hussein in the 80s and today Egypt, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia
How has foreign-led militarized democratization, failed or destabilized entire regions?
63% of attempts have failed and post 9/11 failures in Iraq and Afghanistan
How is US foreign policy been impacted by racism?
The US had a slave based capitalist empire, elimination of native Americans, and the US inherited European racism
How did US democracy backslide under President Trump?
Inequality, racial tensions, partisanship, disinformation, and voting rights restrictions are spread, as well as the 2020 election and January 6 attack on the US Capitol
How is Biden trying to put democracy at the heart of US foreign policy?
By organizing summits for democracy, global support to free media, anticorruption, aid activists, fair elections, has used China’s abuses in the Ukraine war to galvanize alliances with leading western democracies, and a nuanced approach to democracy promotion
How is Americas credibility limited on democracy promotion?
US backsliding, US hypocrisy, and China’s appeal
How has China is authoritarian offensive impacted democracy promotion?
It’s success proves that democracy is not the only model, it uses its economic power to silence human rights critiques abroad, it rewrites the definition of human rights in international organization, and cooperates with other autocracies.
What were the US objectives in the middle east in the early Cold War?
To contain the Soviet union, to contain radical Arab regimes that were backed by Moscow, to protect the free flow of Middle Eastern oil, and protect Israel
Why did the US decide to get more directly involved in the middle east in the late 1970s?
Renewed US fears of a Soviet breakthrough and growing US dependency on Middle Eastern oil
When was Iran’s Islamic revolution?
January 1979
When was the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan?
December of 1979
What did the Carter doctrine of January 1980 say?
Any attempt by any outside force to gain control of the Persian Gulf region will be regarded as an assault on the vital interests of the United States of America and such an assault will be repelled by any means necessary, including military force
When was CENTCOM created?
1982
What are some examples of a growing US involvement in the Middle East in the 80s?
Expansion of the US Israel alliance, close military rapprochement was Saudi Arabia and Egypt, US involvement in the Soviet Afghan war, and support to Afghanistan’s holy warriors, and the Gulf War after Iraq invasion of Kuwait
How did the US in advertently contribute to the rise of radical Islamism?
Military and economic support to highly repressive and corrupt dictators, support Israel’s post 1967 expansion, turning a blind eye to his allies promotion of radical Islamism, and US military deployment
What was Bush Junior’s approach to the global war on terror?
Bolster domestic security, seek unprecedented military preponderance, prevent cooperation between terrorists and rogue states, launch the global war on terror, and promote democracy across the Middle East
What was flawed about Bush’s approach to the global war on terror?
The endless duration, global scope, legitimizing the terrorist narrative about Islam versus Christianity, human rights scandals became inevitable, US wars fuel terrorism, US entanglement created opportunities for rivals and enemies
How many US troops were in the middle east in 2008?
295,000
What was Obama’s approach to the global war on terror?
Refocusing from Iraq to Afghanistan, engaging Iran, using new and cheaper tools, and in the long term, refocus on Asia
How did Obama remain committed to the war on terror?
Staying in Afghanistan, in May 2011, raiding bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan, the US lead campaign against Isis, and pressures on Iran
What was trumps approach to the global war on terror?
Continuing the war against Isis and making a piece deal with the Taliban in Afghanistan
What was Bidens approach to the war on terror?
Withdrawal from Afghanistan and criticizing endless wars but continuing the war on terror
How many US citizens have died from the war on terror?
About 15,000
How many Americans were seriously wounded or maimed from the war on terror?
70,000
How many civilians have died in the greater middle east from the US war on terror?
897,000 to 929,000
What percent of US oil imports come from the Middle East?
15%
What is an over the horizon strategy?
Air strikes, special ops, and funding and training for local allies
How many US citizens were killed in terror attacks from 1995 to 2019?
3455
How is the global terrorist threat worse today than in 2001?
3 to 5 times higher victims of terrorism, and more terrorist movements
How is the war on terror compromised America’s values?
Offshore prisons and drone strikes
How’s the war on terror had a negative impact on US democracy?
The US governments lack of transparency, the US governments repression, and the securitization of US society
What does facilitated the rise of far right extremism in the US?
Growing inequalities, growing ethnic diversification, post Iraq and Afghanistan return of veterans, Obama’s election causing resentment, and trumps election causing emboldenment
Why do some say the US should double down in the Middle East despite costs and problems?
The terrorist threat remains, US credibility is at stake, if the US withdraws from the Middle East, it’s local allies will do reckless things, keeping troops in the Middle East is cheap, over the horizon strategy is not ideal, and the Middle East is important in the competition against China and Russia
What was China’s “century of humiliation”?
From 1839-1949, China was dominated by foreign powers
What was the US response to communist China?
US/Western embargo and US alliances to contain China
What was the US rationalization for opening to China?
Cooperation with China would contain the Soviet Union, trade and investments with China would boost the US economy, and there was a belief China would democratize
What were the major setbacks in the relationship between the US and China?
The Tiananmen Square Massacre (June 1989) and the end of the Cold War, where they no longer had a common enemy
How was the US engagement with China mixed in the 90s?
The US supported the integration of China into the liberal world order, but they were prepared for the relationship to degrade
How did Bush Jr deal with China?
He declared them a strategic competitor, but the GWOT soon diverted his attention
How did the relationship with China change under Obama?
China emerged as a peer competitor, due to a relative US decline, growing Chinese assertiveness, and growing trade tensions
How was Xi Jinping assertive during the Obama administration?
Technological progress, military buildup, authoritarian offensive, rapprochement with Russia
What did Obama’s pivot to Asia Pacific include?
Military buildup, including new naval assets, bolstering alliances and partnerships, and economic buildup, including the TPP
What challenges did the US face in their pivot to Asia?
The US remained entangled in the Middle East and Europe, there was insufficient resolve to stop Chinese provocations, and in 2017, Trump canceled the TPP
Why do some scholars say the US should maintain its engagement with China?
US China economic interdependence, the US can’t form an anti-China coalition, and China has an interest in joining the US-led international system
Why do some scholars say that the US should opt for reassurance on China?
The US and China need to work together to avoid war and cooperate whenever possible
Why do some scholars say the US and China should negotiate spheres of influence?
The US is still more powerful that China, meaning they can obtain good terms from negotiations, and Taiwan and the South China Sea aren’t worth it
Why do some scholars say the US should choose restraint on China?
The US is inherently secure, so they should step down its presence in East Asia, they should encourage Asian allies to increase their military capabilities, and should deploy massively only if China commits an aggression
Why do some scholars say the US should opt for balancing China?
The relationship cannot be repaired, so the US needs regional military buildup, should buttress allies at all levels, and educate the American people about the China threat
What do scholars who want the US to opt for containment in China say?
The US should create an Asian NATO and attempt to constrain the growth of the Chinese economy
What were Trump’s main policies concerning China?
Launching the Indo Pacific strategy November 2017, re-creating the quad with India, Japan, Australia, launching a trade war against China in July 2018, denouncing Chinese human rights violations, COVID-19 pandemic controversies, tech war and decoupling
What are Biden’s main policies concerning China?
Endorsing most of trumps economic policies, reviving the liberal international order, strengthening consensus on China in US domestic politics
What degradations of the relationship between the US and China has happened recently?
China’s ambiguity on the war in Ukraine, growing US support for Taiwan, spy balloon controversy
What is the intellectual consensus on the US engagement policy since 1971 with China?
The US was naïve, lost an opportunity to balance against China, and it made China immensely powerful
Why has there been a push back against the hardening of US policy among some experts?
Today’s China is moderate, risk of war and major economic of evils, manicheism has never served the US, risk of pushing China towards other rivals, US has responsibility in the current tensions, China will be much more long-term than the Soviet union was, the industrial military complex has an interest in growing tensions
What was the Kyoto protocol?
From 1997, the first major multilateral agreement to reduce greenhouse gases by 5%, but no obligation for developing countries and developed countries did not ratify or enforce the treaty
What was the Paris agreement of 2015?
To keep the rise of temperatures below 2°C, provide $100 billion a year for financial solidarity, but countries could determine their target and there was no enforcement mechanism
What are the main obstacles to fighting global warming?
It’s hard for states to tackle problems without passports, the centrality of the capitalist model, powerful fossil fuel lobbies, and north-south disputes
How are fossil fuels been an enabler of America’s hegemony?
The US is one of the main if not the number one oil producer worldwide, US oil is a source of economic wealth and strategic leverage, and military control of oil routes give leverage over other states
What has US foreign-policy towards fossil fuels looked like since 1971?
Declining US domestic oil production, reluctance to think about a post oil era, and the Pentagon’s contributions
What were the concerns about the Kyoto protocol in the US?
Domestic economic concerns, partisanship, lobbying and disinformation by the oil lobby, in the US military’s lack of interest
What is Obama’s mix Legacy on global warming?
Personal involvement in new regulations, green energy investments, and global climate change tax but polarization in Congress, fossil fuel lobbies, and shale gas revolution
What was the shale gas revolution?
New extraction techniques lead to skyrocketing oil and gas production and curtailed the global demand for wind, solar, and nuclear energy
What are the strategic consequences of the shale gas revolution?
Bolster of the US economy, reduce the US dependency on the Middle East, and it’s helped reduce the EU dependency on Russia
What was trump like on global warming?
He rejected scientific expertise, was close to fossil fuel lobbies, and the 2017 withdrew from the Paris agreement
What percent of Democrats believe the global warming had begun?
82%
What percent of Republicans believe that global warming had begun?
29%
What is Biden done on global warming?
Pledged big cuts to US CO2 emissions, passed the inflation reduction act which should reduce US CO2 emissions by 41%, oversaw societal revolutions, oversaw economic evolutions towards green technology
What questions remain about the US fight against global warming?
Biden has persistent ambiguities, including the willow project in Alaska, and there are persistent long-term uncertainties
How are the US face more security threats worldwide due to global warming?
Food scarcity, Ebola outbreaks, more frequent or severe natural disasters, more climate migration, more under development and political unrest
What is the pentagon’s view on global warming?
Global warming will lead to an acceleration of the instability or come click, it’s a threat multiplier, and aggravate stresses abroad such as poverty, environmental degradation, political instability, and social tensions
How might the US military’s power projection diminish due to global warming?
More military resources will need to be diverted towards disaster relief at home and there’s a vulnerability of US military infrastructure worldwide
How might global warming diminish the economic foundations of US power?
More money will need to be diverted to the cost of extreme weather
How many global warming provide the US and opportunity to denounce China?
China is the worlds worst polluter so the more the US accomplishes its own climate goals, the more pressure can apply on China but western ambiguities are currently making that difficult
How might the US encounter strategic difficulties if China confirmed its world leadership and green tech?
China has more green energy capacity than the rest of the world, so there’s a risk the Chinese economy will perform better in the US and its allies my fall under China’s dependency
When was the WHO created?
1948
What was the rationale of the US international health policy?
He would limit the risk of war and advance US influence at the soviets expense
What is the global health paradigm?
Globalization leads to urbanization and novel infections, travel and reduction of timelines, global warming and spreading diseases, fire terrorism, communication technologies and disinformation, and pharmaceutical multinationals and the profit ethics balance
When did the United States realize the challenge of the global health paradigm?
Late 1990s
What was the US response to the SARS outbreak of 2003?
Chinese initial response was to hide the truth so the US in the WHO pressed Beijing to share information and allow the deployment a foreign health workers
How many cases of stars were there in 2003 and how many deaths?
8098 cases and 774 dead
What was the first US case of ebola?
September 2014 from a doctor
What was the US response to the ebola outbreak?
Deploying 4000 scientists and troops and cooperation with China
How many cases of Ebola were there and how many deaths?
27,181 cases and 11,323 dead
Why is the US vulnerable to pandemics even before COVID-19?
Short attention span, not enough investments, intragovernmental rivalries, and the Nero nationalist approach
What was the first stage of COVID-19 (up to February 2020)?
China overwhelmed by COVID-19, with a business as usual approach up until mid January, with censorship’s, lunar new year celebrations in Wuhan, downplaying the number of infections and deaths, claiming the outbreak was under control, and claimed there is no evidence of human to human transmission
When was the initial outbreak of COVID-19?
November 2019
When did the Chinese government come under fire and what did they do?
In mid January 2020, on January 22 they locked down Wuhan, faced domestic crisis of supply chain disruptions and discontent, and international controversy over the origins of COVID-19
What arguments for used early in the COVID-19 outbreak to defend China?
Containing the virus was difficult in another country might not have done much better
What was the second stage of the COVID-19 pandemic from January 2020 to June 2021?
US blenders and China recovers
What was the US response abroad COVID-19?
A travel ban from China, blaming China, using the virus to show the dangers of globalization, insensitivity to the plight of developing countries, refusing to work with UNSC, and the decision to defund and leave the WHO
What was the US response at home to COVID-19?
Disregarding early warnings, insufficient federal support to states, not enough protective equipment for Frontline workers, unclear public guidance, politicization of Covid
What percent of the worlds COVID-19 cases and deaths came from the United States?
25% of cases and 20% of deaths
What percent did the US GDP decline in 2020?
2.8%
How did China tame Covid at home?
Built enough new hospitals to admit all those in need, use AI and big data for surveillance and tracking, massive lockdowns, which led to the pandemic under control since early March 2020. This led to the zero Covid strategy
How did China rebrand themselves as a global leader following March 2020?
Grind budget contributions to the WHO, mask diplomacy exporting PPE, vaccine diplomacy exporting vaccines to 115 countries
What are the strategic implications for China rebranding themselves as a global leader?
An authoritarian push, catching up with the US economy, putting themselves in a stronger position to reject investigations of the origins of COVID-19, and geopolitical gains
What was the third stage of the pandemic after mid 2021?
The US regained the upper hand and China blunders
How did the US improve after mid 2021 in terms of Covid?
Operation warp speed may the US the first country to develop a highly protected vaccine, which demonstrates the US technological superiority, aggressive vaccination at home facilitated economic revival, resumption of cooperation with the WHO, and vaccine diplomacy in areas of Geo political relevance
What are the limits of China’s zero Covid strategy?
Growing economic and human costs of the lockdown, China’s vaccines did not protect from new Covid variant, decline of China’s health diplomacy, and enduring controversies of the origins of COVID
What was the effect of China’s lockdowns?
They affected 373 million people and 40% of the countries economic potential
Why did try to maintain their zero Covid policy in 2022?
She cannot admit mistakes before third term, it helped increase control over the Chinese people, they did not seem to be any good alternative
What are the end impacts of COVID-19 in the US?
Nearly as many dead as in all US wars combined, long Covid, vaccine denial, no congressional deal on funding for future Covid response, unaddressed societal issues, and a lack of leadership in the global south
How does the US from an exposed to new pandemics?
A risk of more lethal Covid variant, many unknown animal viruses across the world, many public health emergencies of international concerns, no congressional deal on money requested for pandemic preparedness and bioterrorism
What are structural US economic weaknesses?
The US is 11th in infrastructure, 28th in government efficiency, 57th in primary education, 43rd in life expectancy, and 1st in opioid abuse, along with declining startups and a skyrocketing deficit
How has the US had a relative economic decline?
GDP is only 5.5x 1960 levels, compared to 8.5x in the rest of the world, US GDP has fallen from 46.7% of the rest of the world, to 30.8%
How has China made breakthroughs towards the US economy?
GDP is 92x 1960 levels, and China’s growth rate is 5.2%, China might overtake US in 2030
Why will China make allies increasingly dependent?
Growing supply chain dependency and growing trade dependency
How has the US military declines?
Current expenditures are not sustainable, naval plans to have 355 ships by 2030s is unattainable, aircraft are old, army fell short on recruiting by 25%, the military is badly overstretched, shrinking posture (no more two war standard), and enemy strategies
Why do some scholars say the US can’t contain China’s military in East Asia?
US overstretch, China’s military is growing too fast, a degredation of the balance of power in East Asia
What are the weaknesses of US democracy?
Backlash against globalization, critiques against endless wars, growing partisanship, growing social divisions, long term vision of authoritarians, state driven economy can invest strategically, more domestic order
What are the geographic sources of US power?
Enormous stocks of natural resources, more transport infrastructure than rest of the world, surrounded by water and weak neighbors, access to Atlantic and Pacific, and more natural deep-water ports than the rest of the world combined
What are the political, economic, and societal assets of the US?
Society that fosters innovation, democratic elections guarantee correction course from failure, attract foreign investment, technology, and skilled workers, immigration can lead to expanding population, 60% of top 2000 most profitable companies, 50 of top 100 universities, US control over world’s most advanced technologies
Why do some say China’s economy is weaker than assumed?
Official numbers are not reliable, huge economic wastes, debt may exceed 300% of GDP,, environmental damage, lots of people over 65, China’s GDP will never overtake the US
Why is China’s dictatorship inferior to US democracy?
Corruption, no real debate among senior leaders, no elections means no incentives to change course, centralization of power is counter productive, backlash against Xi in the rest of the world, China has antagonized many, and the world craves democracy
What are China’s severe military limitations?
Long borders, surrounded by rivals, large homeland security budget, US military is a league of its own
Why do some scholars say debates about great power competition are missing the bigger picture?
America’s determination to remain number one and China’s determination to overtake the US might miss the point that we need more cooperation
