POL_S 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 19: Monroe Doctrine, Democratic Peace Theory, Nato
Document Summary
Foreign policy is the term we give to government actions that are outside of the united states. The tools of foreign policy: alliances and treaties. Treaties: agreements between nations in which the nations pledge to work together on issues such as security or economic development. An alliance: is a particular type of agreement that commits nations to specific security guarantees. Beyond the president and congress, other actors play an important role in international relations. Professional organizations, religious groups, charitable organizations, multinational corporations, terrorist groups. Historically united states has oscillated between isolationism and internationalism. Isolationism: the belief that the u. s. should refrain from participating in foreign conflicts/affairs. Internationalism: the belief that the u. s. should participate in some foreign conflicts/affairs out of self-interest and moral obligation. Realism: states are unitary actors, humans are self-interested, power is key, conflict is inevitable, whatever policy choice increases national power is correct.
