How Governments Make Policy Decisions

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How Governments Make Policy Decisions
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Review

• What is foreign policy?
• How country interacts or deals with other nations
• What would be an example of a foreign policy
  action or issue?
• War, alliances, issues involving citizens,
  business transactions/trade, spying,
  negotiations, or anything else involving two or
  more countries.
• What is an embassy?
• Location where representatives of one country
  stay and/or live in another country.
• Considered foreign soil where foreign laws apply

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Who makes/influences foreign policy in America?

• President
• Congress
• Military
• Ambassadors
• CIA

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The President

• Often travels personally to countries as
  representative
• Shapes how other countries or peoples view the US
• Is responsible for making treaties with other
  nations (written agreements)
• Commander of armed forces
• WAR POWERS

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Congress

• Has the power to declare war
• Is war ever declared anymore?
• World is very instantaneousdeclaration outdated
• Senate has to approve treaties
• House of Representatives controls funding
• Want to stop a war? Cut off money
• According to the great Austrian General
  Montecoculli there are 3 things you need to win a
  war
• Money
• Money
• Money

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Military and CIA

• U.S. Military
• Actions impact how people view us
• Influences what options we have, what we can do
• CIA (Central Intelligence Agency)
• Gathers information by covert means
• Evaluates the validity of information found
• EX Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq
• Intervenes secretly in the affairs of other
  nations
• Assassinations, bribes, trickery, propaganda

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Example of bad press
US army prison abuse in Iraq Actions of dumb few
impact all
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Ambassadors

• Are top ranking American in country they are
  posted
• Appointed by the President
• Runs the embassy
• Represents all American interests
• Meets with leaders and every day people

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Things that impact what American foreign policy
is in a situation

• Public Opinion
• What other nations think and do
• Money
• Time and prior commitments
• Support of interest groups and businesses

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