Deck 17: Foreign Policy

Question 1

Critical Thinking Questions


-What do you think is the most advantageous school of thought for the United States to follow in foreign policy in the future? Why?

Answer 1

Answers will vary according to personal choice, but a sample answer might look like the following:] The most advantageous school of thought for the United States to follow in foreign policy is a combination of liberal internationalism and selective engagement. The United States should continue to seek alliances with foreign countries and work with them and with international organizations to ensure free trade and peaceful solutions to problems. This should be combined with selective engagement, however. There may be times when the United States cannot wait to secure international support for actions that must be undertaken to ensure national security; at the same time, the nation should not always act as the world's policeman and attempt to impose its will on countries with very different histories, systems of government, and cultural values.

Question 2

Critical Thinking Questions


-What are the three most important foreign policy issues facing the United States today? Why?

Answer 2

Answers will vary according to personal choice, but a sample answer might look like the following:] The three most important foreign policy issues facing the United States today are climate change, terrorism, and refugee crises. Climate change leads to the loss of life and property and adversely affects business around the world. It also contributes to refugee crises as people flee devastated areas. If climate change is not addressed, many parts of the planet will become unlivable. Terrorism causes people around the world to live in fear, threatens lives, can lead to military actions and mass migration, and helps destabilize foreign governments. Finally, people who flee their countries are subjected to suffering, economic loss, violence, and risk of death. Countries can be overwhelmed by new arrivals for whom they must provide shelter, food, health care, and education. The United States can use foreign policy to help alleviate these problems by increasing foreign aid, working to end human rights abuses and environmental damage, and fighting terrorism.

Question 3

The use of drones within other countries' borders is consistent with which school of thought?

A) liberal internationalism
B) neoconservativism
C) neo-isolationism
D) grand strategy

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The goals of U.S. foreign policy include ________.

A) keeping the country safe
B) securing access to foreign markets
C) protecting human rights
D) all the above

Question 5

What are the pros and cons of the neoconservative foreign policy approach followed in recent decades?

Question 6

All the following are examples of sharply focused foreign policy outputs except ________.

A) presidential summits
B) military uses of force
C) emergency spending measures
D) international agreements

Question 7

Critical Thinking Questions


-Which is more important as an influencer of foreign policy, the president or a cabinet department like the Department of State or Defense? Why?

Question 8

The federal budget process matters in foreign policy for all the following reasons except ________.

A) Congress has the power of the purse, so the president needs its approval
B) the budget provides the funding needed to run the foreign policy agencies
C) the budget for every presidential action has to be approved in advance
D) the budget allows political institutions to increase funding in key new areas

Question 9

The U.S. policy of containment during the Cold War related to keeping ________.

A) terrorism from spreading
B) rogue countries like North Korea from developing nuclear weapons
C) communism from spreading
D) oil prices from rising

Question 10

President George W. Bush was a proponent of liberal internationalism in his foreign policy.

Question 11

Neoconservativism is an isolationist foreign policy approach of a nation keeping to itself and engaging less internationally.

Question 12

The War Powers Resolution ________.

A) strengthened congressional war powers
B) strengthened presidential war powers
C) affected the presidency and congress equally
D) ultimately had little impact on war-making

Question 13

Why do House members and senators tend to be less active on foreign policy matters than domestic ones?

A) Foreign policy matters are more technical and difficult.
B) Legislators do not want to offend certain immigrant groups within their constituency.
C) Constituents are more directly affected by domestic policy topics than foreign ones.
D) Legislators themselves are not interested in foreign policy matters.

Question 14

In terms of formal powers in the realm of foreign policy, ________.

A) the president is entirely in charge
B) the president and Congress share power
C) Congress is entirely in charge
D) decisions are delegated to experts in the bureaucracy

Question 15

A sole executive agreement is likely to be in effect longer than is a treaty.
b. false

Question 16

What are two key differences between domestic policymaking and foreign policymaking?

Question 17

Which of the following is not a foreign policy type?

A) trade policy
B) intelligence policy
C) war-making
D) bureaucratic oversight

Question 18

Critical Thinking Questions


-In your view, what are the best ways to get the community of nations working together?

Question 19

Which types of foreign policy outputs have more impact, broadly conceived ones or sharply focused ones? Why?

Question 20

Why are foreign policy issues more complicated than domestic policy issues?

A) They are more specific.
B) They are more complex.
C) The international environment is unpredictable.
D) They are more expensive.

Question 21

Critical Thinking Questions


-If you were president and wanted to gather support for a new foreign policy initiative, which three U.S. foreign policy actors would you approach and why?