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US and World Politics “It’s the end of the world as we know it...” Overview • The International Political System • Aims of US Foreign Policy • Evolution of US Foreign Policy World Politics • Recap domestic politics – Why is government necessary? – What role does government play? • International environment is anarchic – No government – Implications? World Politics • Global Political System is a “self help” system • Participants – States – Non-State Actors • IGOs • NGOs World Politics • States: – Basic unit of world politics since 1648 (Treaty of Westphalia) – Features: • Defined Geography • Population • Sovereign Government World Politics • States (continued) – Note that the first and third points (geography and sovereign government) mean that the idea of “statehood” rests in part on the agreement of other states. – States “recognize” other states by respecting the borders and the sovereignty of other states –Wars and violence result when that recognition breaks down (e.g., Iraq/Kuwait in 1990; Serbia/Croatia 1993) World Politics • States (continued) – Distinct from “nations” by which we mean: • a people with a shared language • inhabiting a fixed territory • sharing common customs that take on sense of shared identity/commonality • recognition of common unity World Politics • Keeping the two ideas distinct means that we can have: – – – – states with a single nation (e.g., Italy) states with multiple nations (UK, Russia) nations with multiple states (Arabs, Koreans) nations with no state (Kurds) World Politics • Non-state actors in world politics include: – International Government Organizations • e.g, UN, NATO, EU, ASEAN, OAS, OAU – These organizations are comprised of a variety of states – But they lack sovereignty World Politics • United Nations: – General Assembly (each state equal) • Security Council • 15 states, each with one vote, but 5 permanent members (US, UK, France, China, Russia) have “veto power” – Secretariat – International Court of Justice World Politics • NGOs (Non Government Organizations) – Organizations that have a political impact or focus but which are unconnected to any government • e.g., Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, Amnesty International, Greenpeace but also • Al Qaeda, Hezbollah, ETA, FARC, Sendero Luminoso US and World Politics • Aims of US Foreign Policy: – National Security – Territorial Integrity – Political Ideology • How do we achieve them? US Foreign Policy • 2 main themes have driven US policy: Isolationism – avoid “entangling alliances” and stay out of European and world politics US Foreign Policy • Idealism – Promote democracy, freedom, and liberty abroad – Monroe Doctrine: protect western hemisphere from European encroachments – Truman Doctrine: protect all “free” nations from communist expansion – Bush Doctrine: use preemptive force to protect all free nations from terrorist threats US Foreign Policy • Impact of these two strands has led the US to get involved in wars beyond national security or strategic interests • Use warfare to promote ideals – Democracy, freedom, capitalism • Expansion of US US Foreign Policy • Factors/Players shaping foreign policy – President • State, DoD, Homeland Security, NSC, CIA – Congress – Corporations – Foreign Policy “elite” • think tanks, academics US Foreign Policy • Resources for navigating in anarchy: – Diplomacy • Negotiation to work out differences/disagreements – Economics • Rewards: tax breaks, trade concessions, grants, loans • Punishments: tariffs, quotas, embargoes – Military US Foreign Policy • Post WW2 the aim of US foreign policy was to contain communist expansion – – – – Korean War Vietnam War Nuclear Arms Race with USSR (now Russia) Regional Military Alliances • (e.g., NATO, OAS, SEATO, etc.) Defense Spending & the Budget • Defense related expenses receive the largest share of federal appropriations: – See Table 8.9 for details Global Military Spending • Latest figures (2005) show that total global spending on military is $1.118 trillion, or about $173 per capita • 34% increase from 2004 • US is responsible for 80% of that increase Global Military Spending • US spent $420.7 billion in 2005 (not including the money appropriated for Iraq/Afghanistan) war • US military spending was almost two-fifths of the total; more than the combined spending of the next 14 nations. • US military spending was almost 7 times larger than the Chinese budget, the second largest spender. Military Spending • The US military budget was almost 29 times as large as the combined spending of the six “rogue” states (Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Sudan and Syria) who spent $14.65 billion. • These six potential “enemies,” plus Russia, and China together spent $139 billion, or just 30% of the U.S. military budget. Military Spending • Nuclear proliferation issues • Nukes and “rogue” states • Nukes and terrorist groups Global Poverty • Currently 6.6 billion people in the world • Human population growth • Of that number, approximately 3 billion survive on less than $2.00/day Global Poverty • – – Global economic data GDP per capita Divide between north and south • The GDP of the poorest 48 nations (i.e. a quarter of the world’s countries) is less than the wealth of the world’s 3 richest people (Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Carlos Slim Helu) combined. Conclusions • US and the world – population growth and immigration – energy – health – AIDS 1919 flu pandemic • 1/4th of US population afflicted, 1/5th of global population • Estimated death from pandemic: 21,500,000