CH 17, pp. 468 to 499

Foreign Policy and National Defense

Domestic affairs

• Events and politics within the country’s borders.– US recession and unemployment– Rising gasoline prices– GOP resistance to Obama administration policies

paralyzing government. – GOP governors trying to take away public workers’

union rights.– Most states dealing with excessive budget deficits.

Isolationism

• A purposeful refusal to become generally involved in the affairs of the rest of the world.– Prior to WWII the United States regularly

maintained this practice.• What reasons would cause the United States

to end this practice?– Spread of Communism– Interconnectedness of the World

The State Department

• Headed by the Secretary of State.– John Kerry

• Helps the president by giving advice on foreign policy and affairs.

Foreign Affairs

• The nation’s relations with other nations.– Obama administration’s support of popular revolts in West

Asia and North Africa– The continuing war on terror: international cooperation– The border wars in Mexico/drug trafficking– Nuclear rogue nation: North Korea– Nuclear power issues with Iran– China’s manipulation of USD value to keep Chinese

products cheap.– US military bases or offices in almost every nation of the

world.

Foreign policy

• The way the United States responds to international issues.– Stands• Unwilling to negotiate with terrorist.

– Actions• Diplomatic, military, commercial• Changes with – each president – Congressional resolutions

• What foreign policy issue are President Obama and the President of Iran trying to work on?

• Who did Congress invite to visit Congress?• How does this hurt the talks between the

United States and Iran?• What are the democrats planning to do?• How did President Obama respond to this

invitation?

Right of legation

• the right to send and receive diplomatic representatives to a foreign nation.

• Ambassador– An official representative of the United States

appointed by the President to represent the nation in matters of diplomacy.

– 180 Ambassador in nations around the world.

Diplomatic immunity

• ambassadors and consuls are usually exempt from the laws of the foreign country they are in.

• Embassy/consul staff as well.– Arrest– Law suit– Taxation.–Official communications, papers, properties

are protected

Defense Department• Secretary of Defense heads this department

– Chuck Hagel• Chief Aide in advising the president on carry out defense

policies.• The five members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff serve as military

advisor to the Secretary of Defense and the President.• With in the department of defense there are three sub

departments – Department of the Army (6/14/1775)– Department of the Navy (10/13/1775)– Department of the Air Force (1947)

Espionage

• Spying. Collecting information from a foreign nation through covert (secret) activities..

• Central Intelligence Agency performs this function.

• Also performs activities such as– Assassinating key foreigners– Assisting revolutions against targeted foreign

leaders.

Terrorism

• The use of violence to intimidate a government or society usually for political or ideological reasons.– Justification for the war in Afghanistan.– One of the major threats to the United States

today.

Selective Service System

• Draft– compulsory military service.

• Aka conscription• Last draft existed from 1940 to 1973• Males 18 and over still required to register

p 472

• Who advises the president on military matters?

• The Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

p 473

• In what ways has the army become more diverse?

• The numbers of female and minority soldiers have increased.

p 474

• According to this cartoon, what was it like to be a combat soldier?

• Exhausting, miserable, and fraught with danger.

p 475

• Do you think women should fly combat missions in wartime? Explain your answer.

• Both men and women are capable of piloting airplanes.

p 479

• Should the United States continue to fund the exploration of outer space? Why or Why not?

Quick Write

• Is it still necessary for all American men to register for the draft at the age of 18? Explain your answer.

Deterrence

• US policy of keeping its military so strong and prepared that no country will dare attack it.

• Started by Harry Truman after WWII. – Point was to discourage/contain

Soviet/Communist gains in the world.

Collective security

• many nations joining together to keep international peace and order.– United Nations (UN)– North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

Cold War

• Period of 40+ years where the relationship between the United States and The Soviet Union was tense.– Military Build-up– Threats– Proxy wars• Vietnam• Afghanistan

Containment

• US policy aimed at preventing the expansion of Communism during the Cold War.– Berlin Blockade– Cuban Crisis– Korean War– Vietnam War– Nuclear Arms Race

Détente

• Policy that Nixon embarked on that relaxed the tensions between the United States, Soviet Union, and China.– Began diplomatic relations with China– Began SALT talks in Russia.• SALT- Strategic Arms Limitations Talks

• This period of détente ended with the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan in 1979.

Foreign aid

• economic and military assistance to other countries.• Began with Lend-Lease Act prior to WW II.• Continued to be a useful policy to prevent the spread

of communism during the Cold War.– Largest act was the European Recovery Act (The Marshall

Plan)• Today done through the Agency for International

Development (AID)– Also through the Department of Defense.

• In 2012, the United States spent $48.2 billion in foreign aide to nations around the world.

Types of Foreign Aid

• What are the two types of foreign aid?• Economic aid (4)– Food– Supplies– Programs– Subsidies

• Military aid (3)– Weapons– Advisors– training

Regional security alliance

• international military cooperation in a particular part of the world– NATO (Europe)– Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (Americas)– ANZUS Pact (Oceania)– Philippines Pact (Philippines)– Korean Pact (South Korea)– Taiwan Pact (Taiwan)– Japanese Pact (Japan)

UN Security Council

• part of the United Nations with the power to protect international peace:– Sanctions– Military intervention

• Five permanent members– US– Russia– Britain– China– France

• 10 non-permanent members– Selected every two years from general membership of nations.

• Powers of the United Nations Security Council.– May adopt measures to resolve international

conflicts– Including military sanctions

• Limits on the security council– The veto power of any one permanent member

can kill a resolution.

p 483

• Do you think the cartoonist favors this policy or not? Explain your answer.

• No, TR is shown as big and domineering, and he views all of the people from other nations as the same.

p 485

• Do you agree with Dr. Kissinger’s observation? Why or why not?

p 487

• Why was it so easy for the Soviets to block supplies to West Berlin? Why do you think the United States made such a huge effort to break the blockade? – Because the city was surrounded by Soviet

controlled East Germany.– As part of its policy of containment, the U.S.

wanted to keep communism from spreading to the rest of Europe.

p 492

• From which part of the world did the newest members come?

• Eastern Europe

p 497

• What activity gets the largest proportion of UNICEF funding?

• Early Childhood Development

EC: How many countries spend as much on their militaries as the US annually? Name them.

• Answer:• None• In fact, the next 12 militarily strong nations

still do not equal the annual military spending of the United States.

Quick Write

• Why would the government want to spend so much money on foreign aide around the world?