Midterm Flashcards
questions of foreign policy strategy
what the national interest is and how best ot achieve it
questions of foreign policy politics
which institutions and actors within the American political system play what roles and how much influence they have
Four P’s
Power, peace, prosperity, and principles
Power
the key requirement for the most basic goals of foreign policy: self-defense and the preservation of national independence and territory
Realism
the school of international relations theory that most emphasizes the objective of power
Four points for realists
1) States pursue interests, not peace
2) Political and military power remain major currencies of power
3) Economic power < Military power
4) Idealistic principles are important, but not more important than military power
Foreign policy strategies that follow realist thought are largely _____.
Coercive
The ultimate coercive strategy is _____.
war
Deterrence
Prevention of war by fear of retaliation
Military interventions
Uses of military force in a more limited fashion
Self-defense
Military action taken in response to an attack
Preemptive war
Used against an imminent threat
Preventative war
Used when the threat is less than imminent, but you have a strong basis for assessing the threat will become greater
Alliances
Associations of states for collective security of other mutual interests
military assistance
lending weapons, advisers, financing, and other forms of aid
Coercive diplomacy
Measures used to exert power and influence without military force
Economic sanctions
Restrictions on trade, finance, and/or other economic relations, imposed by one country to exert power or influence over another country
Covert action
Secret operations of intelligence agencies conducted to defend national interests
Diplomacy
The process by which states conduct official relations, most often through ambassadors or other diplomatic representatives
International Institutionalism
A school of international relations theory that emphasizes both the possibility and value of international institutions and other forms of cooperation for reducing the chances of war and other conflict
International Institutionalists value ____ more than realists.
cooperation among nations
Institutionalists stress _____ over military and other coercive means
diplomatic means
Five types of international institutions
1) global security
2) economic
3) international legal
4) policy area
5) regional
“Peace broker”
Role US has played in wars and conflicts in which it has not been a direct party
Foreign policies motivated by the pursuit of prosperity are those that give high priority to that national interest defined principally in _______ terms.
economic
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)
Established in 1944 as a mechanism for managing trade disputes so as to prevent their escalation to trade wars
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
The global organization that oversees the international monetary system, promoted international monetary cooperation and exchange rate stability, and provides resources to help members in balance of payments difficulties or to assist with poverty reduction
imperialism
the subordination of a weaker state by a stronger political entity, frequently through conquest of territorial occupation
neocolonialism
extensive power exercised by one country over another through less direct control than colonialism
What is the international relations theory attached to prosperity?
Economism, Imperialism
Democratic idealism
An international relations theory that emphasizes Principles and is rooted in two central tenets: in a trade-off, “right” is to be chosen over “might,” and in the long run, “right” makes for “might”
Democratic peace
An international relations theory that asserts that promoting democracy also promotes peace because democracies do not go to war against each other.
soft power
cultural attractiveness and reputation
What is the international relations theory attached to power?
Realism
Partisanship
When the same political party controls both the White House and Congress
Confrontation
When policy positions have been in substantial conflict
Institutional competition
Conflicts focused less on the substance of policy than on institutional prerogatives and the balance between executive discretion and congressional oversight
Cooperation
when Congress has either concurred with or deferred to the president and a largely common, coordinated policy has been pursued
Constructive compromise
When the two branches have bridged conflicts and come to a policy that proved better than either’s origial position
Constructive compromise
When the two branches have bridged conflicts and come to a policy that proved better than either’s original position
Constructive compromise
When the two branches have bridged conflicts and come to a policy that proved better than either’s original position
Which two sets of congressional committees handle most of the work related to war powers issues?
1) Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee
2) Senate and House Armed Services Committees
What does ABM mean?
Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty
What is the NSC?
National Security Council
Key congressional committees involved in trade policy
1) House Ways and Means Committee
2) Senate Finance Committee
War powers
The constitutional power given to the president to serve as commander and chief and given to Congress to declare war and provide for the common defense.
Power of the Purse
Power of Congress to direct influence over decision about how much to spend and what to spend it on
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT)
Treaty building on prior limited bands that now seeks to ban all test of nuclear weapons
Executive agreements
International commitments made by the president that do not require a two-thirds senate majority and usually do not require congressional approval
Declaratory commitments
foreign policy commitments derived from speeches and statements by presidents, such as the Monroe Doctrine
List the types of economic interest groups
Multinational corporations (MNCs) and other businesses, labor unions, consumers, and other groups whose lobby-ing is motivated by how policy effects economic interests
