SOL 12 The student will apply social science skills to understand the role of the US in a changing world by
a) describing the responsibilities of the national government for foreign policy and national security;
American foreign policy consists of the official positions and actions that the national government takes in its relationships with other countries.
One of the primary responsibilities of the national government is to protect its citizens.
Foreign policy powers of the executive branch
Foreign policy powers of other branches
Key agencies in the foreign policy and national security arenas
Public opinion, special interests, international organizations, and foreign countries influence foreign policy and national security issues.
Conventional diplomacy, foreign aid, economic sanctions, and military intervention abroad serve to protect American interests and promote national security.
a) describing the responsibilities of the national government for foreign policy and national security;
American foreign policy consists of the official positions and actions that the national government takes in its relationships with other countries.
One of the primary responsibilities of the national government is to protect its citizens.
Foreign policy powers of the executive branch
- The president has primary responsibility for making foreign policy.
- The president is the commander in chief of the armed forces.
- The president and the executive branch negotiate, persuade, apply economic pressure, and threaten military intervention.
Foreign policy powers of other branches
- Congress has the power to declare war and to appropriate funds.
- The Senate has the power to confirm ambassadors and to ratify treaties.
- The Supreme Court has the power to interpret treaties.
Key agencies in the foreign policy and national security arenas
- State Department
- National Security Council
- Foreign Service
- Department of Defense
- Central Intelligence Agency
- Department of Homeland Security
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
Public opinion, special interests, international organizations, and foreign countries influence foreign policy and national security issues.
Conventional diplomacy, foreign aid, economic sanctions, and military intervention abroad serve to protect American interests and promote national security.
b) assessing the role of national interest in shaping foreign policy and promoting world peace;
United States foreign policy priorities reflect the political agenda of the time and can be fluid.
Foreign policy goals
Making foreign policy decisions requires balancing competing or contradictory foreign policy goals.
Recent initiatives addressing foreign policy challenges
United States foreign policy priorities reflect the political agenda of the time and can be fluid.
Foreign policy goals
- Fulfilling a commitment to preserve a peaceful world
- Promoting democratic values
- Protecting nations from aggression
- Encouraging market-oriented economies and free trade
- Advancing international cooperation
Making foreign policy decisions requires balancing competing or contradictory foreign policy goals.
Recent initiatives addressing foreign policy challenges
- Trade imbalances with other countries
- Curtailing human rights abuses
- Controlling nuclear and biological arms
- Determining the future of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
- Curbing drug traffic
c) examining the relationship of Virginia and the United States to the global economy, including trends in international trade.
The economies of Virginia and the United States depend on resources and markets around the world for the production and sale of goods and services.
Virginia and United States businesses have become multinational in their quest for resources, markets, and profits.
In recent decades, the national government has worked to reduce barriers to international trade:
United States trade agreements
The economies of Virginia and the United States depend on resources and markets around the world for the production and sale of goods and services.
Virginia and United States businesses have become multinational in their quest for resources, markets, and profits.
In recent decades, the national government has worked to reduce barriers to international trade:
- Free trade increases worldwide material standards of living.
- The gains from free trade are not distributed equally, and some individuals or groups may lose more than they gain when trade barriers are reduced.
- Despite mutual benefits from trade among people in different countries, many nations employ trade barriers to restrict free trade for national defense reasons, to protect key individuals, or because some companies and workers are hurt by free trade.
United States trade agreements
- North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA): A free-trade zone of Canada, Mexico, and the United States intended to eliminate trade barriers, promote fair competition, and increase investment opportunities.
- World Trade Organization (WTO): Established in 1995. Its role is administering trade agreements, handling disputes, and providing a venue for negotiating among its member nations.