HY 357 Lecture Notes - Lecture 66: Central Intelligence Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency, Henry Kissinger
6 Jun 2018
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The Institutions of Foreign Policy
Foreign policy is formulated and implemented within the executive branch. The principal policy
institutions are the departments of State and Defense, the National Security Council (NSC), and
the CIA.
Department of State
The Department of State is most directly responsible for the conduct of foreign policy.
The secretary of state is, in theory at least, the nation's chief foreign policy official. That
role can be assumed by other officials in the administration. President Nixon relied
much more heavily on Henry Kissinger when he served as Nixon's national security
advisor than on Secretary of State William Rogers. The day-to-day diplomacy of the
United States is carried out by the Foreign Service, which staffs American embassies
and consulates around the world. Although many ambassadors are appointed for their
political contributions rather than their knowledge of foreign affairs, the career Foreign
Service officers are an invaluable source of information for policymakers.
Department of Defense
It is difficult, if not impossible, to separate the military from foreign policy. The Defense
Department was created in 1949 through a consolidation of the War Department and
the Department of the Navy (which included the Marine Corps), both of which were
cabinet-level departments, and the U.S. Air Force. The secretary of defense can have
tremendous influence on foreign policy, as did Robert McNamara, who served in the
post under President John Kennedy and President Lyndon Johnson during the Vietnam
War. The Joint Chiefs of Staff, who are the heads of the four branches of the armed
services and a chairperson, provide advice to the president on military planning and
strategy.
National Security Council
The National Security Council (NSC) is made up of the president and vice president,
the secretaries of defense and state, the director of the CIA, the chair of the Joint Chiefs
of Staff (the leadership council for the armed services), and about a dozen other
government officials; it is headed by the national security advisor. The council is
responsible for advising the president on foreign policy. The role of the NSC varies from
administration to administration. Nixon, who was extremely knowledgeable about
foreign affairs, relied on the NSC a great deal. Indeed, his national security advisor,
Henry Kissinger, was intimately involved in opening relations with the People's Republic
of China, and he represented the United States in the peace negotiations with North
Vietnam. Condoleezza Rice also played an important role in this position during George
W. Bush's first term; she was appointed secretary of state in 2005.
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Document Summary
Foreign policy is formulated and implemented within the executive branch. The principal policy institutions are the departments of state and defense, the national security council (nsc), and the cia. The department of state is most directly responsible for the conduct of foreign policy. The secretary of state is, in theory at least, the nation"s chief foreign policy official. That role can be assumed by other officials in the administration. President nixon relied much more heavily on henry kissinger when he served as nixon"s national security advisor than on secretary of state william rogers. United states is carried out by the foreign service, which staffs american embassies and consulates around the world. Although many ambassadors are appointed for their political contributions rather than their knowledge of foreign affairs, the career foreign. Service officers are an invaluable source of information for policymakers. It is difficult, if not impossible, to separate the military from foreign policy.
