Foreign Policy Flashcards
Define:
foreign policy
Foreign policy is the policy of a sovereign state in its interaction with other sovereign states. U.S. foreign policy focuses on the relationship between the U.S. and the other nations of the world.
Which branch of the government has the most responsibility for foreign policy?
Most of the responsibility for foreign policy resides in the executive branch and with the president and secretary of state.
What role does Congress play in foreign policy?
Congress’ role in foreign policy is limited and resides almost wholely in the U.S. Senate.
- The Senate, by a 2/3 majority, must ratify all treaties
- The Senate approves all U.S. ambassadors
- Congress has the power to declare war – but has only done so five times
- Congress has some measure of control over the budget, which contains foreign policy expenditures
As commander in chief, the president often commits troops into harm’s way without a formal declaration of war. What law governs the ability of the president to commit troops?
The president’s ability to commit troops absent a declaration of war is governed by the War Powers Resolution (1973). Under the resolution, the president must notify Congress within 48 hours of committing troops to a military action and cannot commit troops for more than 60 days (with a 30 day withdrawal period) without congressional approval.
Every president since Richard Nixon has regarded the War Powers Resolution as unconstitutional.
What role in foreign policy is played by the State Department?
The State Department is the international face of the United States and conducts negotiations, protects American citizens abroad, and administers financial aid to other countries. The State Department also runs the Foreign Service, through which diplomats are assigned abroad.
What is the United States Foreign Service?
The United States Foreign Service administers the U.S. embassies and consular posts. Working under the State Department, the foreign service coordinates the various functions of U.S. services abroad, including commercial and agricultural agreements.
Which four governmental groups play the largest role in developing and administering U.S. foreign policy?
The four governmental groups are:
- The State Department, which oversees U.S. diplomatic relations with other nations and conducts negotiations with foreign powers
- The National Security Council, which promotes policies aimed at enhancing U.S. national security
- The CIA, which monitors and reports on developments in other nations
- The Department of Defense, which coordinates U.S. military relationships with other nations
What is the role of the president’s national security advisor?
The national security advisor is independent of both the State Department and the Department of Defense and serves to provide the president an independent voice on national security issues. The advisor is a member of the National Security Council and, in times of emergency, heads the White House Situation Room.
Who serves on the White House National Security Council?
The National Security Council coordinates national security and foreign policy issues among various governmental agencies and departments. Per statute, it is comprised of the president, the vice president, and the secretaries of State and Defense. Non-statutory attendees typically include the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the treasury secretary, the president’s chief of staff, the national security advisor, and other security and foreign policy personnel as needed.
What role does the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) play in foreign policy?
The CIA plays a threefold role:
- Collects and distributes intelligence analysis to policy makers, such as the president, the national security council, and the secretary of state;
- Conducts covert operations abroad to further U.S. interests
- Serves as the intelligence liasion between Congress, the executive branch, and the intelligence community
How does the Department of Defense advance U.S. foreign policy?
The Department of Defense plays many roles, the most overt of which is to commit troops to military action in foreign countries. In addition, the Defense Department works with international military organizations such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and provides humanitarian assistance such as during the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004.
The secretary of defense and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs advise the president on foreign policy matters as it relates to the military.
Define:
unilateral declaration
A unilateral declaration is a statement made by a sovereign state acting only for itself.
As an example, the Monroe Doctrine was a unilateral declaration that the United States would not permit European nations to establish further colonies in North and South America.
What is a bilateral agreement?
A bilateral agreement is an agreement between only two sovereign states.
For instance, the United States and Canada have bilateral agreements governing aviation safety, warships on the Great Lakes, and extradition of criminals. Prior to World War One, bilateral agreements were the most common form of international agreement.
Define:
multilateral agreement
A multilateral agreement is an agreement between a number of sovereign states.
Examples include NATO, the Geneva Convention, and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), all of which had multiple signatories.
What is the difference between sole executive agreements and congressional-executive agreements?
Sole executive agreements are made by the president with foreign leaders, are less formal than treaties, and only apply to the incumbent president, and are not binding on his successors.
Congressional-executive agreements arise out of a congressional authorization to conclude a particular agreement, usually through an appropriation of funds or other legislation. Congressional-executive agreements typically have the force of treaties but do not require approval of 2/3 of the Senate.
