I.
Basic Theories of International Relations
A. Political Realism
(Realpolitik)
1. Grounded in the political
philosophies of Niccolò Machiavelli and Thomas Hobbes
i. Ends justify the
means
ii. Life in the state
of nature is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short
2.
States are constantly competing with one another for hegemony (dominance) in
the world.—WAR is inevitable
i.
State interest is in preserving its own power and limiting the power of other
nations
ii. The world system is anarchic—there are no
enforceable international
laws
iii.
Military power and economic capability are highly sought after
B. Liberal Institutionalism
1. Grounded in
the political philosophies of John Locke and Immanuel Kant
i. Constitutionalism and
Tolerance are possible and worthy objectives
ii.
Democratic peace theory (democracies do not fight each other—the
more democracies there are, the less likelihood
there is of an outbreak of war.
iii.
Wilsonian idealism—we can make the world safe for democracy
2. States can cooperate and peace is
possible. States cooperate because it
is in
their own interests to do so. “Progress” is also possible.
C. International Political
Economy Theories
1.
Mercantilism—politics precedes economics in importance. States control the economic order for their
own political benefit. (very close to
realism)
2. Classical
Liberalism—politics and economics are independent of one another; the market is
controlled by its own forces, but the state may step in and correct some
visible flaws in the market economy.
Generally a policy of laissez faire is preferred.
3.
Marxism—economics precedes politics.
Social classes are the principal actors; the bourgeoisie (upper and
middle classes) dominate the proletariat (working class); states should control
politics for the sake of universal economic benefit.
D. Great Powers Defined
1. must have
sufficient military force to carry out a protracted war against another
Great Power
2. must have sufficient
economic might to generate wealth
3. U. S. is the
world’s only current superpower, but there are the other great
powers of China, Russia (and perhaps France and
Great Britain)
II.
History of American Foreign Policy in Brief
A. Isolationism from 1776-1898
1. George
Washington warned against entering into “entangling alliances” in
Europe; U.S. did not have the military wherewithal
to fight sustained wars
2. Monroe
Doctrine, 1823:
i.
European nations must not create any new colonies in the Western
hemisphere
ii.
Europe should not intervene in the affairs of newly independent nations
in the Western Hemisphere
iii.
U. S. will not interfere in European affairs
iv.
Effectively made the U.S. the dominant power in the W. Hemisphere
3. Manifest
Destiny continued to excite westward American expansion
4. Spanish
American War (1898)
i.
U.S. defeats Spain and gains territories of Puerto Rico, Guam,
Philippines,
Cuba, and others; “white man’s burden” gains attention
ii.
U.S. emerges as a Great Power
iii.
T.R. would send the U.S. Navy on a worldwide cruise
5. World War I
(1914-1918; U.S. entry in 1917)
i.
U.S. Still isolationist until 1917
ii.
U.S. entered war to ensure world was “safe for democracy”; could just
as easily have entered the war on the side of
Germany.
iii.
After WW I, the U.S. returned to isolationism, despite Wilson’s pleas
6. World War II
(1939-45; U.S. entry in 1941)
i.
U.S. stayed out of war for two years after Germany invaded Poland
ii.
With Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in Dec. 1941, we entered; Hitler
one day later declared war on U.S., and we went to
war in Europe as
well
iii.
U.S. emerges as the world’s superpower
a.
Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe, esp. Germany, and also Japan
as
a way of creating new allies against the USSR
b.
NATO forms as a permanent US/European alliance against
USSR possible aggression
c.
SEATO in the Southeast Asian region forms to counter USSR
and China
d.
United Nations forms as an international body to create new
international laws and provide security alliances
and sanctions
7. Cold War
(1945-1991)
i.
Division of Europe into Soviet Bloc (Warsaw Pact) and the free West
(NATO)
ii.
Arms race between the US and USSR for nuclear superiority
iii.
Containment policy (1950s-60s)—goal is to check the spread of
communism
a.
USSR makes a new ally, the US must make a new ally
b.
Domino theory—if one nations falls to communism, others will
follow
iv.
Détente (1970s)—relaxation of tensions b/t US and USSR; opening up
of diplomatic relations
a.
SALT Treaties
b.
opening up of relations with Communist China
v.
Ronald Reagan—Soviet Union is “evil empire”; trust but verify
a.
big defense budget;
b.
peace through arms
8. Post-Cold War
(1991-?)
i.
Efforts to halt nuclear proliferation through treaties and other means
a.
U.S. Senate failed to ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty in
1999—party line vote with Republicans arguing treaty had flawed monitoring
mechanisms, Democrats arguing it was necessary to ratify lest other nations
continue to build nuclear arsenals.
b.
Only 26 nations have ratified the CNTB Treaty as of 2002
c.
Russia, China, Israel, India, and Pakistan are among the notable
holdouts
ii.
First Persian Gulf War (1990-91)
a.
U.S. uses its forces to drive Iraqis out of Kuwait
b.
We do not topple Saddam Hussein; not part of our objective
c.
motivated principally by oil interests
iii.
Bosnia and the former Yugoslavia/Kosovo—involved through NATO
a.
principally an ethnic conflict after breakup of the nation
b.
bombing campaigns against Serbians to free Kosovo
c.
Serbian leaders remained in power; Kosovars had to resettle
iv.
Somalia (1993)
v.
Other parts of Africa; U.S. has been reluctant to become involved
vi.
Middle East—More U.S. foreign aid goes to Israel than to any other
nation or nations combined; rest of ME resents US
policy.
a. Camp
David Accords (1978—peace negotiated b/t Israel and
Egypt with US acting as the mediator)
b. Oslo
Accords (1993—Israel and Palestinian Liberation Organization agree to create
Palestinian territories in West Bank and Gaza; never fully implemented because
of the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin)
c.
Second Intifada (Sept. 2000-present)—Palestinian uprising
against Israeli oppression, Jewish settlements in Palestinian
territory, etc.
d. US interest in Israel—1948 UN resolution recognizes
Israel’s right to exist (Arab states do not recognize its right to exist);
Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East; some believe Israel has a
special place in world history for religious reasons; US needs an outpost in
Middle East that will serve as a buffer against Arab hostility and possible
squeezing off of the oil supply
vii.
Terrorism: World Trade Center bombings in 1993 and in 2001;
Tanzania and Kenya embassy bombings in 1998;
barracks bombings
in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 1996; bombing of the USS
Cole in 2000
a.
all have brought some sort of retaliation, though none like that of
2001 against Afghanistan and now against Iraq.
b.
Nothing can really be done against terrorism per se. No one
state is responsible for terrorist actions. Terrorist organizations transcend state
borders
c.
Tighter security overseas and at home
d.
Curtailing of some civil liberties (e.g., Patriot Act)
What
can be done to prevent terrorism?
What
can be done to prevent any sort of regular war?
Was
the US justified in going to war in Iraq?—perhaps discuss just-war theory in
more depth
III.
What is Foreign Policy?
A. the nation’s external goals
and the techniques and strategies used to achieve them; how a nation relates to
other nations.
i. Foreign
policy is often regarded more highly than domestic policy, though
ii. there is
more recognition now that domestic politics play into foreign policy and vice
versa
a.
domestic politics necessary to secure treaty ratification in the Senate
b.
home constituents have to be happy with foreign policy before it can be handled
effectively
B. Diplomacy—the total process
by which states carry on political relations with each other; settling
conflicts among nations by peaceful means
i. primarily the
work of the State Department in the US
ii. ambassadors
and envoys are appointed to represent the US in almost 200 nations worldwide
C. Economic assistance—aid in the forms of loans, grants, or credits to buy the assisting nation’s products (e.g., we could credit Mexico with $ for Mexico to purchase US textiles)
D. Technical Assistance—sending
of experts with technical skills in such areas as agriculture, engineering, or
business to aid other nations in their development
E. National Security policy—that
particular area of policy affecting US defense, and security, devoted to
ensuring the continuing independence of the nation and its political and
economic integrity (stability)
IV.
Presidential Power of Creating Foreign Policy
A. Commander-in-Chief of the
Armed Forces
1. waging of
undeclared wars (approx. 125 since the founding)
2. Threatening
to use military intervention
B. Power to negotiate treaties
(usually a deputy or representative of the president does the real dirty work,
but president has the sole constitutional power to negotiate or to delegate his
negotiating power to a representative)
C. Executive agreements (about
95 percent of all US-foreign nation agreements are handled in this way; they
bypass the arduous negotiating and ratification process necessary for
treaties). Examples include FDR’s agreements with Churchill and Stalin during
WWII; US pledges for support to S. Vietnam under Eisenhower, Kennedy, and
Johnson. Since 1946, over 8000
executive agreements have been made.
D. Power of the president to
appoint ambassadors and consuls and envoys with the advice and consent of the
Senate.
E. President may use his office
as his “bully pulpit” (as Theodore Roosevelt described it); power of persuasion
V.
Other sources of Foreign Policy
A. Department of State
B. National Security Council
C. Intelligence Community (CIA,
NSA, FBI, DEA, etc.)
D. Department of Defense (Army,
Navy, Air Force, Marines)