Welcome back, citizens. The U.S. Constitution is clear about the roles each branch of government
plays in foreign policy. Most is handled by the Executive Branch. The president
meets with foreign leaders, negotiates treaties, appoints the secretary of state and ambassadors,
and leads the military. The legislative branch has a large role as well.
Congress approves treaties, approves trade agreements,
approves the Secretary of State and Ambassador appointments, sets tariffs, and declares war.
The judicial branch, as you may remember, doesn't really have a say in foreign policy,
other than monitoring the constitutionality of executive actions and legislation.
With that review, we've already achieved our first objective of the day. Next on
the agenda is to summarize the changing history of U.S. foreign policy. Then,
we will list and describe the possible topics of U.S. foreign policy for the 21st century.
Now, let's look back at how those powers have been exercised over the years.
As George Washington was leaving office after serving as the first U.S. president,
he offered some thoughts regarding relationships with other countries.
Washington advised steering clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world
and advocated trading with all nations, including Great Britain, from which we
had won our independence. He also recommended cultivating peace and harmony with all nations
and establishing positive trade relations with many nations, rather than just focusing on one.
After defeating the British in the Revolutionary War, the U.S. quickly
grew to become a world power. That became evident in the 1820s with the Monroe Doctrine,
which opposed European colonialism in the Western Hemisphere, specifically Central
and South America. It warned other nations away from the Americas to prevent potential conflicts.
For the rest of the century, foreign relations focused mostly on conflicts and transactions
that resulted in land acquisition. You probably remember that, in the 1840s, the
U.S. annexed Texas and won a war against Mexico, acquiring a great deal of land in the process.
Other events included the purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867, the annexation of Hawaii as a U.S.
territory in 1898, and the Spanish-American War in 1898, which resulted in land claims in Guam,
Puerto Rico, and the Philippines — and a different role in world affairs.
With the new century came a new role for the United States. The Roosevelt Corollary,
issued by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1904, stated that the U.S. had the right to
become involved in the affairs of Latin American countries if their governments seemed unstable or
committed acts of wrongdoing. The United States came to be seen as a protector for many nations,
a role that grew throughout the century. Building the Panama Canal in Central America enhanced
trade and relations with other nations in the Western Hemisphere. Entry into the First World
War occurred despite the United States' attempts to remain neutral in the Europe-based conflict.
A couple of decades later, the U.S. again tried to stay out of a large conflict — World War II.
The United States advocated strong support of its allies but resisted joining the fight.
The bombing of Pearl Harbor changed all that,
as the Japanese attack swayed the minds of Americans and altered the course of the war.
Following victory for the U.S. and its allies, the U.S. helped Japan and Germany rebuild,
while also stationing military bases in each country. Japan and Germany became
major trade partners for the U.S., who was now seen as the preeminent world power.
A cold war with the Soviets ensued for decades, with democracy and capitalism opposing communism.
Protecting those political and economic beliefs led to U.S. involvement in civil wars in Korea and
Vietnam. Later, Iraq's aggression in the Middle East led to U.S. intervention in the Persian Gulf.
By the end of the 20th century, the U.S. seemed to be the world's
only superpower and too much of the world looked to it for protection.
Well, the U.S. sustained the world's largest economy in the early part of the 21st century.
Much of the nation's foreign policy has been predicated on its military power.
Despite that military strength, the U.S. was attacked in 2001 when the World Trade
Center towers were leveled in the 9/11 attacks. The results were lengthy military
operations in places such as Afghanistan and an expansion of U.S. military forces.
As of 2022, the United States had bases in 85 overseas countries and territories,
including Australia; Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Iraq, in the Middle East;
Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom, in Europe; Niger and Cameroon, in Africa;
South Korea and Japan, in Asia; the Philippines and Singapore, in the Pacific;
and Cuba, in the Caribbean. Despite the global military presence, the U.S. provides even more.
The U.S. gives billions of dollars in foreign aid each year to other nations.
This practice is scrutinized by some, who feel the money would be better utilized here.
It's done largely to help those nations become viable trade partners
and to help them develop strong democracies to maintain global stability, rather than
allow an authoritarian government to gain resources and become a threat.
Despite the U.S. entering the 21st century as the world's only real superpower,
that seemed to change quickly. China's economic boom has made it the world's second-largest
economy and it's still growing. A different kind of growth continues in India, as an
increasing population and focus on technology are helping to turn that nation into a global force.
Russia's aggressiveness, both economic and militaristic,
has caused multiple reasons for concern for Europe and the rest of the world.
And, the European Union has unified many nations on that continent into a global financial power.
Modern issues to be addressed include climate change. The 2015 Paris Accords established an
international treaty to incrementally reduce greenhouse gas emissions around the world,
but U.S. participation is affected by elections for Congress and the White House.
Another topic is the threat of nuclear armament by some nations. The goal is to prevent potential
conflicts in the future with unstable nations. And the U.S. trade deficit remains a topic
of political discussion and disagreement, specifically our relationship with China.
For example, in 2018 the U.S. imported $539 billion in goods from China, a record high.
In contrast, the U.S. exported $120 billion in goods to China that year.
As the national debt continues to increase, and the trade deficit continues to grow,
the gap between how much the U.S. exports versus how much it imports from other countries becomes
a target of discussion as it relates to jobs, prices of goods, and more.
As you learned previously, the two major U.S. political parties have divergent views
on issues such as trade, foreign aid, and military involvement, meaning your vote is
always meaningful. And that means your vote in all federal elections, whether it's for the President
who leads foreign policy, or seats in Congress, which has a large say in foreign affairs.
The issues mentioned are of great importance, but others will arise as well,
creating questions to which our elected leaders must be ready to provide answers.
The only sure thing is that U.S. foreign policy
moving forward will look different in the future than it has in the past.
Stay informed, young citizens. Vote, debate, and participate, and remember to always be clever.