US Alliances

Question 1

Key Themes

Answer 1

• Is the US best known as a unilateral or multi lateral power?
• How important are special relationships to US foreign policy
• What is the role of NATO, the UN and international institutions in US foreign policy?
• What is shaping the US relationshiip with Russia
• How multilateralist was Obama, is Trump a return to unilateralism
History

Question 2

History

Answer 2

• 1776-1898 ‘Non-entanglement’ Focus on its own backyard
○ Possibly because it wasn’t a global power yet
• WW1
○ US becomes directly involved but leads to a period of isolationism
• WW2
○ The triumph of internationalism and multilateralism
• Cold war
○ A mixture of Western alliance but also prepared to go it alone
§ NATO and Vietnam

Question 3

The Post Cold War Age

Answer 3

• The end of the Cold War
○ Possibility of a new era of multilateralism
○ Huge expansion of US primacy and power
• Bill Clinton
○ Multilateralism as a key idea
• George W Bush
○ First more unilateralist than Clinton
○ Afghanistan = multilateralism
○ Iraq: UN versus coalition of the willing
• Obama: return to multilateralism
• Trump: less interested in allies and international institutions

Question 4

Multilateral when we can, Unilateral when we have to

Answer 4

• Is the US in a special position?
○ Due to its position the US has more threats to worry about
○ Global interests
• Does multilateralism only work if it is I the US interests
○ Why would the US want to commit troops/ undermine its interests for something that is not perceived to be in its national interests
○ If youre a small power you almost always have to work multilaterally
○ Spreading democracy

Question 5

Special Relationships-Israel

Answer 5

• Key reason why America plays such a prominent role in the Middle East
○ US key ally of Israel since the 1940s
• Israel Lobby plays a role domestically
• Does alliance with Israel undermine wider US foreign policy goals?

Question 6

Special Relationships- UK

Answer 6

• Long history of cooperation
• Nuclear and intelligence cooperation
• Shared values, liberal democracy, rule of law , ‘the west’
• Strong interpersonal links
• Influence and impact
○ The UK as a poodle- UK just goes along with what the US wants
○ Moderating influence
○ Legitimacy
• Weakened under Obama, uncertain under Trump

Question 7

Special Relationships- Japan

Answer 7

• Japan comes under the American regional security guarantee
• A key balance in region
○ Japan would be key to any war in East Asia
○ Key allies against China
• An important economic partner
• North Korea

Question 8

The United Nations

Answer 8

• The US was pivotal to the creation of the UN in 1945
• The US is a permanent member of the UNSC
• The UN often relies heavily on US funding and military backing
○ Can cause problems when the US doesn’t agree with policy, or cant get UN backing for its own security interests

Question 9

Benefits of Working through the UN

Answer 9

• Legitimacy of action
  
  • Burden sharing with allies
  • Expertise of other nations
  • Post-conflict help/commitment

Question 10

Costs of Working through the UN

Answer 10

• Efficiency of action
  
  • Veto power on Security Council
  • Control of operations
  • Tendency to act Slow

Question 11

NATO

Answer 11

• UN was instrumental in the creation of NATO
  
  • Now consists of 28 states
  • Bringing the US into Europe
  • A concern for Russia?
  • Weakened under Trump

Question 12

NATO vs the UN

Answer 12

• Technically they are both multilateral institutions
○ The Un as peacekeeping/ NATO as war fighting
○ NATO bypasses Russia and China
○ Raises the question of when an act becomes ‘‘unilateral’’ what consititute legality and legitimacy

Question 13

Russia

Answer 13

• Reluctant allies during ww2
• US always suspicious of the Soviet Union
• The Cold War
○ Ideological capitalism vs communism
○ Near misses
• The fall of the Berlin Wall and the victory for the west
• Relations in decline since 2014

Question 14

Obama the multilateralist, Trump the Unilateralist

Answer 14

• Ran on the idea that he would restore US prestige by returning to a multilateral approach
• Diplomatic reengagement
• Cairo speech
• Russia
• Olive branch to ‘rogue states’
• Has argued that the US cannot solve the world’s problems alone
2009:

Question 15

Obama legacy, Trump and the Future

Answer 15

• A temporary move towards multilateralism under Obama?
• At least partly because Iraq and Afghanistan showed the weakness of US power
• A need to work multilaterally now?
• Could this have meant a new era of US multilateralism…?
• Driven by need and decline rather than policy?
• But a return to “America first” under Trump
•