11

Chapter TwentyChapter Twenty

Foreign and Military PolicyForeign and Military Policy

2

Kinds of Foreign PolicyKinds of Foreign Policy

►Majoritarian politicsMajoritarian politics: foreign policy is : foreign policy is perceived to confer widespread benefits, perceived to confer widespread benefits, impose widespread costs (war, alliances)impose widespread costs (war, alliances)

► Interest group politicsInterest group politics: identifiable : identifiable groups are pitted against one another for groups are pitted against one another for costs, benefits (tariffs)costs, benefits (tariffs)

► Client politicsClient politics: Benefits go to an : Benefits go to an identifiable group, without apparent costs to identifiable group, without apparent costs to any distinct group (policy toward Israel)any distinct group (policy toward Israel)

3

The President and CongressThe President and Congress

►The president is the commander-in-The president is the commander-in-chief chief but Congress appropriates the moneybut Congress appropriates the money

►The president appoints ambassadors The president appoints ambassadors but Senate confirms thembut Senate confirms them

►The president negotiates treaties The president negotiates treaties but the Senate must ratify them with a but the Senate must ratify them with a

two-thirds votetwo-thirds vote

4

The President and CongressThe President and Congress

►Only Congress can regulate commerce Only Congress can regulate commerce with other nations and declare warwith other nations and declare war

►But Americans think that the president But Americans think that the president is in charge and history confirms that is in charge and history confirms that beliefbelief

5

Presidential PowerPresidential Power

►Presidents have been relatively strong Presidents have been relatively strong in foreign affairsin foreign affairs

►And yet presidents have been And yet presidents have been comparatively weak in foreign affairs comparatively weak in foreign affairs by the standards of other nationsby the standards of other nations

►Treaties signed by the president are Treaties signed by the president are little more than a promise to try to get little more than a promise to try to get the Senate to actthe Senate to act

6

The Courts and Foreign The Courts and Foreign PolicyPolicy

►The Supreme Court has ruled that the The Supreme Court has ruled that the federal government has foreign and federal government has foreign and military policy powers beyond those military policy powers beyond those specifically mentioned in the specifically mentioned in the ConstitutionConstitution

►The Supreme Court is reluctant to The Supreme Court is reluctant to intervene in Congress-president intervene in Congress-president disputes about war powersdisputes about war powers

7

Checks on Presidential PowerChecks on Presidential Power

►Congress has control of the purse Congress has control of the purse stringsstrings

►Congress also limits the president’s Congress also limits the president’s ability to give military or economic aid ability to give military or economic aid to other countriesto other countries

►Oversight: House and Senate Oversight: House and Senate intelligence committees must be fully intelligence committees must be fully informed; including covert operationsinformed; including covert operations

8

War Powers Act of 1973War Powers Act of 1973

► All commitments of troops in hostile All commitments of troops in hostile situations must be reported within forty-situations must be reported within forty-eight hourseight hours

►Only a sixty-day commitment of troops can Only a sixty-day commitment of troops can be made unless there is a declaration of war be made unless there is a declaration of war or a specific statutory authorizationor a specific statutory authorization

► Every president since the passage of the Every president since the passage of the War Powers Act has sent troops abroad War Powers Act has sent troops abroad without congressional approvalwithout congressional approval

► Presidents deny that the War Powers Act is Presidents deny that the War Powers Act is constitutionalconstitutional

9

National Security Council National Security Council (NSC)(NSC)

►Chaired by the president and includes the Chaired by the president and includes the vice president, secretaries of state and vice president, secretaries of state and defensedefense usually includes the director of the CIA, chair usually includes the director of the CIA, chair

of Joint Chiefs of Staff, and attorney generalof Joint Chiefs of Staff, and attorney general

►The goal is to present various The goal is to present various perspectives, facilitate presidential perspectives, facilitate presidential decision making, and implement decision making, and implement presidential decisionspresidential decisions

10

Foreign Policy and Public Foreign Policy and Public OpinionOpinion

►The public tends to support the The public tends to support the president in crisespresident in crises

►Military casualties often lead the public Military casualties often lead the public to support escalation, so fighting will to support escalation, so fighting will end more quicklyend more quickly

►Since World War II, the public has Since World War II, the public has generally felt the U.S. should play an generally felt the U.S. should play an important international roleimportant international role

11

Political PolarizationPolitical Polarization

►During the Vietnam War, public During the Vietnam War, public opinion was also polarized, but the opinion was also polarized, but the cleavage did not follow party linescleavage did not follow party lines

►The war in Iraq has polarized public The war in Iraq has polarized public opinion since 2003.opinion since 2003. Most Democrats strongly oppose the war, Most Democrats strongly oppose the war,

more Republicans tend to favor it more Republicans tend to favor it

12

Table 20.1: Popular Reactions Table 20.1: Popular Reactions to Foreign Policy Crisesto Foreign Policy Crises

13

Table 20.2: How the Public Table 20.2: How the Public and the Elite See Foreign and the Elite See Foreign

Policy, 2004Policy, 2004

14

WorldviewsWorldviews

►WorldviewWorldview (or paradigm): (or paradigm): comprehensive mental picture of world comprehensive mental picture of world issues issues

►Isolationism paradigmIsolationism paradigm (1920s– (1920s–1930s): opposes getting involved in 1930s): opposes getting involved in warswars

►ContainmentContainment (anti-appeasement) (anti-appeasement) paradigm paradigm (1940s–1960s): postwar (1940s–1960s): postwar policy to resist Soviet expansionismpolicy to resist Soviet expansionism

15

WorldviewsWorldviews

►Disengagement Disengagement (Vietnam) (Vietnam) paradigm paradigm (1970s, continuing): (1970s, continuing): reaction to military defeat and the reaction to military defeat and the political disaster of Vietnampolitical disaster of Vietnam

►Human rightsHuman rights: prevent genocide--the : prevent genocide--the mass murder of people, usually mass murder of people, usually because of their race or ethnicitybecause of their race or ethnicity

16

What We Pay ForWhat We Pay For

► Personnel: an all-volunteer force was Personnel: an all-volunteer force was instituted after Vietnaminstituted after Vietnam

► Big ticket items may result in Big ticket items may result in cost cost overrunsoverruns—the difference between actual —the difference between actual costs and estimated costscosts and estimated costs

► Small ticket items: The problem is getting Small ticket items: The problem is getting small equipment (e.g., a coffeemaker) that small equipment (e.g., a coffeemaker) that will fit into an odd space (e.g., a plane)will fit into an odd space (e.g., a plane)

17

What We Pay ForWhat We Pay For

►Readiness: client politics makes Readiness: client politics makes readiness a low priority (after building readiness a low priority (after building equipment and maintaining bases)equipment and maintaining bases)

►Bases: the system for Bases: the system for locating/maintaining military bases locating/maintaining military bases was purely client politicswas purely client politics

18

Figure 20.1: Trends in Military Figure 20.1: Trends in Military Spending (in constant dollars)Spending (in constant dollars)

19

Figure 20.2: Public Sentiment Figure 20.2: Public Sentiment on Defense Spending, 1960-on Defense Spending, 1960-

20022002

20

Decision MakingDecision Making

►Department of Defense: Secretary of Department of Defense: Secretary of Defense is a civilian, as are secretaries Defense is a civilian, as are secretaries of army, navy, air forceof army, navy, air force

► Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS): composed of Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS): composed of uniformed head of each serviceuniformed head of each service

►The chain of command runs from the The chain of command runs from the president to the Secretary of Defense president to the Secretary of Defense to unified and specified commandsto unified and specified commands

21

TerrorismTerrorism

►Since 9/11, foreign policy has had to Since 9/11, foreign policy has had to focus on terrorism and what to do with focus on terrorism and what to do with nations that have harbored terroristsnations that have harbored terrorists

►Superpower status in a unipolar world Superpower status in a unipolar world still leaves the U.S. vulnerable both still leaves the U.S. vulnerable both here and abroad to terrorist attackshere and abroad to terrorist attacks