Midterm Flashcards
(35 cards)
W. Mead
“The Jacksonian Tradition”
Mead: The Jacksonian Tradition
When Americans engage in War they use all methods to end it quickly and completely without much regard for the morality or casualty number of the enemy side. The piece discussing the casualty rates of Japan during the American Bombing campaigns of WW2 to emphasize the disproportionate number of deaths American enemies must bear.
Braumoeller
“The Myth of American Isolationism”
Braumoeller: Myth of American Isolationism
An analysis of public opinion polls and the timing of Americans willingness to go to war seems to disprove the notion that America/ American Public has isolationist values when it comes to foreign policy. Ex: American started to favor intervention in WW2 when France surrendered rather than after pearl harbor, showing America wanted intervention on behalf of our allies.
K. Waltz
Selection from Theory of International Politics
K. Waltz, Selection from Theory of International Politics
Anarchic Orders and Balance of Power: Balance of Power politics, Countries are always trying to balance, even if that is not their end goal.
Skowronek
The Politics Presidents Make
Skowronek: Politics Presidents Make
The political time and structure has a great impact on the president’s ability to legitimize using his authority. The different political opportunities structure how presidents act within each. The president’s relationship with the former regime will determine the amount of legitimacy he is seen to have, and thus how much authority he can exert. Presidency is a battering ram, presidents who have succeeded most are those who have been best situated to use it as such
Howell and Pevehouse
“When Congress Stops War”
Howell & Pevehouse, “When Congress Stops War”
This article focus on the actual power the Congress has in decision-making on aspects of foreign policy, especially in war ventures and also on public opinion. The authors oppose the thesis arguing that the Congress inactivity in wartime is due to institutional failure.
It is often said that the Congress has no institutional power but the authors argue that the opposite, they have this institutional power to act during wartime, but the support the President can have on intervention decision depend on the partisan composition of the congress.
Frieden
“Sectoral Conflict and US Foreign Economic Policy, 1914-1940”
Frieden, “Sectoral Conflict and US Foreign Economic Policy, 1914-1940”
Contradictory role of the US in the interwar period can be traced to uneven distribution of economic interests within US society. Conflict between internationalist interest groups and isolationist interest groups limited US participation in foreign affairs.
Iyengar and Simon
“News Coverage of the Gulf Crisis and Public Opinion”
Iyengar and Simon - News Coverage of the Gulf Crisis and Public Opinion
Looks at the Gulf War through lens of media effects. Evidence of agenda setting: as media coverage of the Gulf War increased, more survey respondents reported that the Gulf War was the most important issue facing US. Evidence of priming: foreign policy performance assessments tended to override economic assessments on their impact on thermometer ratings of Pres. Bush during Gulf crisis. Evidence of framing: framing of crisis episodic in nature. Episodic framing of public order strengthened preference for punitive/military response to crisis.
What is the “Jacksonian Tradition”
a. US will get involved only when it has to but when it does get involved it goes really hard and pushes through
i. Sending aid money, sending troops, ordering air strikes, etc.
b. Support for armed intervention abroad; “warrior culture”; “war lobby”
How did it evolve?
a. Universal male suffrage; Scotts-Irish frontier – expand beyond white base
What are the characteristics of Jacksonians?
a. Honor
b. Equality
c. Individualism
d. Financial spirit
e. Courage
Balance of Power Theory Basic Requirements/Assumptions
- States are unitary actors with interest and motives and are constrained by the international system
i) Anarchy: Absence of government
ii) Goal: Survival
(1) Minimum: preservation; maintenance of position in system
(2) Maximum: maximize power; universal domination - Expectations: Balancing and limitation
a) States engage in balancing behavior whether or not balanced power is the end of their acts
b) Strong tendency toward balance in the system
c) A balance, once disrupted, will be restored in one way or another
d) Balances of power recurrently form
e) International politics as a competitive system
f) States will imitate one another and become socialized to their system
3) Evaluating a Theory Common Errors with BOP Theory:
a) Contains assumptions that are theoretical, not factual
b) Assumptions lead to expectations
i) Claims to expect a result (recurrent formation of balances of power) which may not accord with the intentions of any of the units whose actions combine to produce that result
c) Internally consistent
d) Tells us something of interest
e) Testable
i) Inferring expectations (hypotheses) and testing them falsifiable?
ii) Observation of difficult cases, not easy ones
f) A theory at one level of generality cannot answer questions about matters at a different level of generality
i) Does not explain the particular policies of states
Skowronek: “The Politics Presidents Make” Key Concepts
- Power: resources, formal and informal, that presidents have in a given time to get things done
- Authority: expectations about exercise of power at a particular moment’ perceptions about what is appropriate
- IVs: dynamics + political parameters (previously established commitments, President’s political identity)
- DV: presidential decision making and its impact
Howell & Pevehouse: “When Congress Stops War” Key Concepts
- Congressional Levers of Power:
* legislation, appropriations, hearings, public appeals
* length of military campaigns, purse strings, how appropriations spent, timetables for withdrawal, expand conflict to new territory, establish reporting requirements - Divided Government:
* H&P: as opposition seats in congress grow, president less likely to use force
* Fowler: unified governmentàfrequency of congressional hearings
* Kriner: partisan balanceàtimetables for withdrawal, congressional authorizations of war, cut funds
Almond Lippman Consensus:
Public Opinion is:
a. Volatile: transitory, fleeting, shallow
b. Incoherent: lacks logic and structure
c. Ineffectual: limited impact
The Effect of Public Opinion
- P.O. is a constraint
- the steep political cost of violating the public trust
- P.O. as a stimulus for action
- compel leaders to take action to threats in the system
- the ‘rally round the flag’ effect: public approval rises when force is used and boots are on the ground - P.O. as a non-factor
- no direct route of influence outside of elections
- dependent upon the views of P.O. held by leaders (Douglas Foyle)
Types of Interest Groups
- Coalition Interest Groups
- devoted to business and industry
Ex: MIC
- devoted to business and industry
- Ethnic Interest Groups
-these groups represent the needs and interests of major ethnic populations in society
Ex: Israeli Lobby - Single-Issue Groups
-ideology drive
-mouthpieces for causes - there are the crusaders
