american foreign policy essay questions

United States Foreign Policy Analytical Essay

Introduction, united states foreign policy, usa foreign policy during (1815-1941), usa foreign policy during (1941-1989), usa foreign policy during (1989-present), works cited.

Several countries today have established legal frameworks that determine how they relate with other nations. The United States of America has a comprehensive foreign policy which governs its relationship with other countries. “Since independence, the economy of U.S. has been flourishing and it is today one of the most developed countries in the world” (Hastedt 65).

This has given it a dominant position in the world political arena and it has also influenced how it deals with other nations. “The diplomatic affairs of this country are always under the guidance of the secretary of the State” (Carter 82). However, final decisions on diplomatic affairs are only made by the president.

America’s foreign policy has always been shaped in such away that it favors its interests. It protects its corporations and other commercial organizations from any unfair treatment and competition (Kaufman 15). This has always been done to ensure that no country challenge its economic position.

U.S. has been using its power to suppress other nations that may be thinking of emerging as its competitor. For example it checked the influence of U.S.S.R. In order to continue dominating many countries, the U.S. government keeps on extending its authority and power over many nations.

“It has achieved this by simply influencing the social-economic and political institutions of some countries which are vulnerable to political influences” (Carter 130). Such practices are prevalent in countries which are poor and can not sustain themselves economically.

”Peace, prosperity, power, and principle,” have always acted as the guiding principles of U.S. foreign policy, and its interests revolve around them (Hastedt 29). The U.S. government has been striving to maintain these values, but the only thing that has been changing is the prevailing conditions which influence the manner they are achieved (Hastedt 30). We can therefore examine the foreign policies of U.S in the following phases.

America came up with the policy of “isolation” after the end of its revolutionary war. According to this policy, US did not engage in conflict resolution programs and it always remained impartial whenever some European countries had a conflict with each other (Carter 101). For example, this was demonstrated during the First World War and it continued until the beginning of the Second World War. The main interest of US during the 19 th century was to develop its economy and this influenced how it conducted its diplomatic activities with other nations.

It forged trade ties with other countries which were ready to do business with it. In addition to these, it also engaged in building its territory through bringing more territories under its control. For example in 1819 it managed to conquer Florida; in 1845 it brought Texas under its control and the Russian Empire agreed to sell Alaska to US in 1867.

Imperialism was also partially practiced by U.S. “Foreign policy themes were expressed considerably in George Washington’s farewell address; these included among other things, observing good faith and justice towards all nations and cultivating peace and harmony with all countries” (Carter 74). The US government in many cases declined to engage in signing treaties. For example it refused to be part of the “League of Nations” (Kaufman 67).

There was a remarkable increase in U.S. engagement in peace initiatives during the post World War One, and this formed its key agenda in foreign relations. President Wilson came up with guidelines that were used in ending the First World War. The European powers had a meeting in Paris in 1919 in which they discussed the ways of solving the disputes which had previously led to war among them. “The Versailles Treaty was signed by the countries that attended the conference but U.S. government did not” (Hastedt 120).

This is because the US government felt that some of the members had contradicted some of steps which governed the treaty. U.S. also managed to carry out the disarmament program successfully in 1920s and it also helped Germany to reconstruct its economy which had been ruined by over engagement in war. U.S. tried to continue pursuing the policy of “isolation” during 1930s.

However, President Roosevelt joined the Allied powers during the Second World War and they managed to win it. Japan was forcefully removed from China by U.S. and they also stopped its possible invasion of the Soviet Union. “Japan was greatly humiliated and it reacted by an attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, and the United States was at war with Japan, Germany, and Italy” (Carter 190).

The economy of U.S greatly improved after the second war, while the other European countries grappled with economic challenges. It was now one of the greatest countries and its power and influence was felt in many countries.

The emergence of the cold war in the post war period led to the split of the world into two spheres. These two spheres were dominated by Soviet Union and U.S. Non Aligned Movement was developed as a result of this process. The Cold War period only came to an end towards the end of the 20 th century. “A policy of containment was adopted to limit Soviet expansion and a series of proxy wars were fought with mixed results” (Kaufman 117).

The Soviet Union completely collapsed after the U.S. war against Iraq (Gulf War). America joined this war in order to dislodge Iraq from Kuwait so that peace and stability could be restored in that country. After the war, U.S. shifted its policy from Iraq because it was trying to be a threat to its interests in the region of Middle East (Carter 195).

America is still having an important role in world politics. Nonetheless, it is facing much opposition and competition from other countries like China. Its dominant role and influence has gone down and many countries from Africa are currently shifting their diplomatic relationships to the East. “U.S. foreign policy is characterized still by a commitment to free trade, protection of its national interests, and a concern for human rights”. A group of political scientists contend that the super powers seem to be having similar socio economic and political interests, and if they can find a good opportunity to pursue them together then we shall have a prosperous future.

Carter, Ralph. Contemporary cases in U.S. foreign policy: from terrorism to trade. Washington D.C: Press College, 2010.

Hastedt, Glenn. American foreign policy. New York: Longman, 2010.

Kaufman, Joyce. A concise history of U.S. foreign policy. New York: Rowman and Littlefield , 2009.

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25 Foreign Policy Research Paper Topics

25 foreign policy topics for a successful paper.

• Foreign policy and the role of propaganda in it
• Foreign policy of Japan
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American Government: Stories of a Nation

Student resources, discussion questions.

1. What is foreign policy? What are some examples of foreign policy that you know about? Try to use these examples to describe the various ways that the government tries to manage foreign affairs.

2. In what ways might foreign policy be harder than domestic policy? In what ways might foreign policy be easier than domestic policy? What tools do foreign policy experts have to work with?

3. How did the collapse of the Soviet Union make American foreign policy more complex? Simpler?

4. Why might a bipolar world be more difficult than unipolar world? Why might the opposite be true? How might approaches to foreign policy vary in each context?

5. Think about Keenan’s argument about how the United States should interact with the Soviet Union. Does this describe a plausible way to act with Russia currently? Why or why not?

6. Think about Keenan’s argument about how the United States should interact with the Soviet Union. A major component is a psychological argument about how Russian leaders would be expected to behave. Does this approach seem reasonable? Why or why not? How would you test whether or not Keenan’s policy approach was successful?

7. Some scholars have argued that we have transitioned from a unipolar world to a multipolar world. Does that seem reasonable to you? Why or why not? How might we test that proposition?

8. One of the sources of modern conflict with Russia deals with the NATO alliance. Should the United States maintain the alliance? Should the United States deemphasize the alliance? Why or why not?

9. How would you describe the Monroe doctrine: a strategy designed to promote independent countries in the Western Hemisphere or a strategy to gain American dominance over the Western Hemisphere? Does the Roosevelt Corollary help you answer that question?

10. What was the Reagan Doctrine? How successful was the approach in terms of ending of the Cold War? How might we test its success?

11. What is a preemptive war? Can a preemptive ware ever be justified? In other words, can it be considered ethical? If not, why not? If so, under what circumstances?

12. How much should elected officials follow the public on foreign policy issues? Do you think Americans have enough foreign affairs knowledge to form valid opinions on the issues?

13. Have the class look at Figure 18.3. Why does the United States spend so much on defense relative to the rest of the world? Should it reduce this amount, why or why not?

14. What do you think about George Will’s assertion that Obama’s actions in Syria violated the War Power Resolution? Does this seem accurate, why or why not? 

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National High School Essay Contest

You are here, in this section, applications are now open for the 2024 essay contest.

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2024 Essay Contest Topic

This year, AFSA celebrates the 100th anniversary of the United States Foreign Service. Over the last century, our diplomats and development professionals have been involved in groundbreaking events in history – decisions on war and peace, supporting human rights and freedom, creating joint prosperity, reacting to natural disasters and pandemics and much more. As AFSA looks back on this century-long history, we invite you to join us in also looking ahead to the future. This year students are asked to explore how diplomats can continue to evolve their craft to meet the needs of an ever-changing world that brings fresh challenges and opportunities to the global community and America’s place in it.

Over the past 100 years the Foreign Service has faced a multitude of challenges such as world war, terrorism, nuclear proliferation, humanitarian disasters, global pandemics, and economic crises. In a 1,000-1,500-word essay please identify what you believe will be the biggest challenge to face the Foreign Service in the future. The essay will describe this challenge and clearly define how American diplomats can help mitigate it.

Successful essays will use past or current diplomatic efforts to support what you believe to be the best course of action to tackle this obstacle.

For more information on Essay Contest Rules and Guidance please visit this page . For additional resources and to view the 2024 Study Guide please visit this page .

AFSA Announces the Winner of the 2023 High School Essay Contest

The American Foreign Service Association’s national high school essay contest completed its twenty-third year with over 400 submissions from 44 states.

Three randomized rounds of judging produced this year’s winner, Justin Ahn, a junior from Deerfield Academy in Deerfield, Massachusetts. In his essay, “Mending Bridges: US-Vietnam Reconciliation from 1995 to Today,” Justin focuses on the successful reconciliation efforts by the Foreign Service in transforming US-Vietnam relations from post-war tension to close economic and strategic partnership.

Justin traveled to Washington in AUgust 2023, where he met with Secretary of State Antony Blinken. He also received a full tuition scholarship to an educational voyage with Semester at Sea.

Niccolo Duina was this year’s runner-up. He is a senior at Pulaski Academy in Little Rock, Arkansas. Niccolo attended the international diplomacy program of the National Student Leadership Conference in summer 2023.

There were eight honorable mentions:

• Santiago Castro-Luna – Chevy Chase, Maryland
• Dante Chittenden – Grimes, Iowa
• Merle Hezel – Denver, Colorado
• Adarsh Khullar – Villa Hills, Kentucky
• Nicholas Nall – Little Rock, Arkansas
• Ashwin Telang – West Windsor, New Jersey
• Himani Yarlagadda – Northville, Michigan
• Sophia Zhang – San Jose, California

Congratulations! We thank all students and teachers who took the time to research and become globally engaged citizens who care about diplomacy, development, and peacebuilding.

If you are not graduating this year, please consider submitting another essay for next year’s contest. The new prompt will be published in fall 2023.

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Foreign Policy

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Study Questions

In what ways does the foreign policymaking process resemble the domestic policymaking process?

Foreign policy usually goes through the same basic steps—an issue gets on the agenda; policy alternatives are offered; the government adopts a policy; the policy is implemented; and the policy is evaluated. The difference is that the number of people involved is usually smaller.

Describe the Bush Doctrine.

The Bush Doctrine, put forward by President George W. Bush, argues that the United States should preemptively attack nations that could pose a threat to it.

What is the military-industrial complex? Why do some people see it as a problem?

The military-industrial complex is the alliance of the armed forces, defense contractors, and members of Congress whose districts rely heavily on the military. Some worry that it wields too much influence, increasing the size of the military in order to boost profits.

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Five Not-So-Easy Pieces: The Debates on American Foreign Policy

Subscribe to this week in foreign policy, richard n. haass rnh richard n. haass.

March 1, 2000

American foreign policy discussion today is not so much a single debate as debates. At least five principal debates are taking place—or at least should be. How they are resolved will go a long way toward determining both what takes the place of containment as a means of organizing international relations and what the role of the United States in the post-Cold War world will be.

The five essential sets of questions involve the proper priorities for foreign policy; the extent to which the United States should enlist others in pursuing these priorities; how the instruments of foreign policy should be used; what resources will be required and how they should be distributed; and how policy itself should be made.

The range of American foreign policy priorities is considerable. Potential emphases include encouraging democracy and markets; alleviating humanitarian distress; promoting U.S. exports; maintaining American primacy; encouraging restraint in inter-state relations; and avoiding foreign policy entanglements. Although a foreign policy can reflect more than one of these directions, priorities must be established, because trade-offs and opportunity costs are often unavoidable.

At its core the second question is how much the United States should try to do largely or entirely on its own—unilaterally—and how much in cooperation with others. The choice is a great deal more complicated than that, however, as the multilateral option in fact subsumes multiple approaches, including using the United Nations and other international institutions, alliances and other regional organizations, and coalitions of those able and willing to act.

The third set of questions involves the instruments of foreign policy, which include public and private diplomacy, military force, sanctions, incentives, and covert action. In every instance, questions arise about whether and how to use particular tools. Policymakers must constantly assess whether acting with a particular instrument in a particular fashion makes more sense than using others in other ways—or than doing nothing at all.

The fourth debate is over resources. Elsewhere in these pages Michael O’Hanlon highlights the choices facing the United States in the realm of defense. Similar assessments could be written about the dollars devoted to intelligence, foreign assistance, and diplomacy. In every case, it is necessary to address not simply how much should be spent but how it is spent.

The fifth and last debate involves how foreign policy is made. Are procedures and institutions that for the most part developed in a very different context—a world divided by Cold War and fundamentally less global than our own—still adequate for the challenges facing the United States today? If not, what changes should be made by the executive branch, Congress, or both?

All five debates are important. At the same time, they are often obscured by specific foreign policy issues. “Unpack” the debate over China policy and you will see that at the core is the question of foreign policy priorities. Much the same can be said of debates surrounding Kosovo and other humanitarian interventions. Likewise, controversy surrounding the use of economic sanctions reflects disagreements over both the wisdom of unilateral action and the relative value of particular tools.

Of the five sets of questions, the most important are the first two, which reflect the purposes of the United States and its basic approach to the world. The latter three debates—matters more of instrumentality, implementation, and process—while critical to the success of policy, are less fundamental. For that reason this essay will emphasize the debates over priorities and approaches.

To What End?

The question of priorities is another way of asking what the United States should do with its primacy. Although a world of democratic, market-oriented states would obviously be desirable, bringing it about is likely beyond our capacity. Moreover, other issues—stemming the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, avoiding the outbreak of war, protecting core economic stakes—are simply more important. Interests need to take precedence over concerns. Much the same holds for a humanitarian emphasis. However important, it too can be a luxury that can impair the ability to protect necessities.

A foreign policy based on promoting exports also has major shortcomings. Because trade and investment flows require stability, an export-based policy can all too easily be overwhelmed by political and military instability. Just as important, a focus on exports is likely to lead to policies that make little economic sense—because an export-based policy tends to increase the role of governments in trade—and can imperil the rest of relationships as trade frictions overwhelm all else.

Nor is a policy that seeks to maintain American primacy as an end in itself likely to succeed. The United States cannot dictate the course of other societies, preventing them in the process from becoming more powerful and assertive. What is more, changes taking place within American society are likely to make consensus as to the ideal means and ends of policy more difficult to achieve. This, too, is likely to weaken the position of the United States relative to others over time.

What might be described as the opposite alternative—minimalism or neo-isolationism—is arguably more doable but less desirable. Although doing less abroad would be less costly in the near term, over time it could prove terribly expensive. The United States cannot insulate itself in a world that is ever more global. Missiles, people, germs, terrorists, ideas, drugs, funds, and goods all show little respect for state boundaries. Moreover, an absence of American activism will create vacuums that will be filled by forces that in some cases will be hostile to ourselves, creating the likelihood of conflict down the road.

A final alternative, one that often comes under the banner of realism, emphasizes order among rather than within states. While rightly focusing on the greatest threats to peace and prosperity, realism has little to offer when it comes to dealing with internal sources of instability or to human problems. Indeed, its very narrowness makes it unattractive to many Americans who will only support a foreign policy with a purpose that transcends balancing power and maintaining peace devoid of justice.

Which orientation makes the most sense? Realism should be at the core, and toward that end the United States should work to bring about a world where military force is used only sparingly to resolve disputes between nations, where stocks of weapons of mass destruction are reduced, and where trade is conducted according to rules rather than results. These are the areas where the most important U.S. interests are engaged and where it is possible to design and implement policies to protect them. At the same time, the United States should promote democracy and markets to the extent feasible and do what it can to alleviate humanitarian suffering when it is truly awful, when it is possible to do some good at a reasonable cost and without jeopardizing vital interests, and when others are willing to share the burden.

Getting From Here to There

Beyond the question of the ends is the problem of approach. What is the best way to realize the preferred aims of American foreign policy?

One option would be to go it alone. Unilateralism has the advantage of minimizing the need for compromise and maximizing speed and ease of acting. But it is also expensive (in both dollars and people) and impractical. Few undertakings can be carried out by the United States alone. Major military operations require overflight rights, access to bases, and contributions of troops and equipment. Unilateral sanctions can easily be circumvented. A world trading system by definition requires the cooperation of others. Supplier clubs designed to curb the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction require near universal membership.

A second approach would lean heavily on international institutions. This notion is attractive in principle, as effective global organizations could help bring about a more prosperous, stable world at less cost to the United States. But institutions require a strong consensus to operate effectively, and in most arenas of international life such consensus is missing. In particular, major powers today do not agree on the rules of world trade, the status of Taiwan, what to do about Saddam Hussein, the desirable level of missile defenses, or the legality of intervening with military force when a government is unable or unwilling to protect its own people. This is not an argument against building organizations where and when agreement emerges—a WTO that is inclusive in membership and comprehensive in what it regulates is surely to be desired—only a call for modesty in the absence of convergence.

A third approach to American foreign policy is one that is multilateral but less formal or universal. Alliances, such as NATO, are one manifestation, although such groupings are rare and likely to become even less common in a world of few fixed adversaries. Much more common are informal coalitions of parties able and willing to work together on behalf of a common purpose—be it to rescue the Mexican economy, contain Saddam Hussein, or enter East Timor. Such groupings are not ideal—they are invariably ad hoc and reactive and lack the legitimacy of more formal regional or UN undertakings—but they are consistent with a world where the willingness of governments to cooperate varies from crisis to crisis and situation to situation, where great power consensus is unreliable, and where U.S. resources, however great, are still limited.

Making Foreign Policy Work

What this all adds up to is an American foreign policy that emphasizes relations between states more than conditions within them (on the grounds that one can have order without justice but not vice versa) and informal coalitions to promote multilateral action. In most instances, such coalitions should be headed by the United States, if only because it alone possesses adequate military, economic, and political power.

But power is not to be confused with influence. It is not simply that the United States lacks the resources to carry out a unilateral foreign policy, it lacks the capacity to compel others to follow its lead. Any attempt to do so—to assert hegemony—is bound to fail as it will stimulate resistance, something that will make the costs of acting in the world greater and the benefits smaller.

In short, leadership requires followership. Abroad, this means that the United States must be willing to consult with others as to the shape of post-Cold War international society. If negotiations were the hallmark of Cold War diplomacy, consultations are likely to characterize U.S. foreign policy in this era.

Leadership overseas also requires leadership at home. The ability of the United States to be effective requires that the American people and Congress be willing to recognize the national interest over special interests, to make the necessary resources available, and to allow them to be used. Right now, a decade after the end of the Cold War, the absence of consensus abroad as to what should constitute international order is matched by an absence of consensus at home as to what should constitute American foreign policy. Asking the candidates to articulate their vision of both seems only right given all that is at stake.

Foreign Policy

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March 28, 2024

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I\'m searching for essay topics on obama. do you have any recommendations.

Certainly! Here are some essay topic ideas related to Barack Obama: 1. Analyzing the major accomplishments and legacy of Barack Obama as President of the United States. 2. Exploring the challenges and obstacles faced by Obama during his presidency and evaluating his responses. 3. Investigating the impact of Obama's healthcare reform, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), on the American healthcare system. 4. Discussing Obama's approach to foreign policy, focusing on significant events such as the Iran nuclear deal or the Paris Climate Agreement. 5. Examining the Obama administration's efforts to address climate change and promote clean energy. 6. Assessing the economic policies and strategies implemented by....

Can you offer assistance in devising suitable titles for my essay about Hitler

1. The Rise and Fall of Adolf Hitler: A Study in Tyranny 2. Hitler's Impact on World History: A Critical Analysis 3. Hitler's Leadership Style: Authoritarianism and Propaganda 4. Understanding the Psychology of Adolf Hitler: Roots of Hatred and Manipulation 5. The Holocaust and Hitler's Final Solution: Examining the Darkest Chapter of WWII 6. Hitler's Role in the Axis Powers: The Axis Pact and its Consequences 7. Hitler's Legacy: Lessons from History on Preventing Dictatorship and Genocide 8. Hitler's Military Strategy: Blitzkrieg and the World War II Campaigns 9. Hitler's Ideology: Nazism, Anti-Semitism, and the Quest for Aryan Supremacy 10. Hitler's Downfall: The Battle of Berlin and the End....

Would you be able to provide me with ideas for essay topics on policy?

Policy Analysis and Evaluation The effectiveness of different policy interventions in addressing social issues (e.g., poverty, healthcare, education) The impact of policy changes on specific populations or industries The role of evidence-based policymaking in improving policy outcomes The challenges and opportunities of implementing and enforcing policy The ethical implications of policy decisions Policy Design and Development Innovative approaches to policy design (e.g., behavioral economics, collaborative governance) The factors that influence policy adoption and implementation The role of stakeholders in policy development and evaluation The impact of technology on policy design and implementation The challenges of balancing competing interests in policymaking Policy Implementation....

Need help generating essay topics related to President Joe Biden. Can you help?

1. The impact of Joe Biden's presidency on healthcare reform in the United States. 2. Analyzing Joe Biden's approach to foreign policy and its implications for global relations. 3. The role of social media and technology in Joe Biden's communication strategy as President. 4. Evaluating Joe Biden's efforts to address climate change and promote environmental sustainability. 5. The significance of Joe Biden's historical election as the oldest president in American history. 6. Analyzing Joe Biden's stance on immigration and his impact on immigration policies in the United States. 7. The effectiveness of Joe Biden's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and his administration's vaccination efforts. 8. Examining Joe....

Foreign Policy Nixon's Detente Description Detente Was

Foreign Policy Nixon's Detente Description Detente was a cooling down, or thaw, among America, Russia and China's arms' race (Detente). The United States and Russia could either slow their weapons production or continue the arms race, which, people feared could end in a devastating war (Detente, CNN). Nixon and Henry Kissinger worked secretly on Detente at summit meetings in Beijing and Moscow. President Gerald Ford signed on to Detente in Helsinki in 1975. (CNN, Detente). President Involved Richard M. Nixon Gerald Ford People involved: Leonid Brezhnev, Moscow Communist Party Chief, wanted to relax tensions with America (CNN, Detente). illy Brandt, est German Chancellor, gave Brezhnev the idea for Detente. President Richard M. Nixon and National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger were the architects of the United States' plan for Detente. President Gerald Ford took over the office after Nixon resigned and signed the treaty in 1975. Foreign Policy The U.S. Foreign policy of, reduction of arms and building better relations seem to contradict each….

Works Cited

An Outline of American History." (1994) Chapter 12. From Revolution to Reconstruction - An.HTML Project. 21 April 2003. http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/H/1994/ch12_p6.htm.

Detente." May 2002. History Learning Site. 21 April 2003.  http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/detente.htm .

Disarmament, Nuclear: International Agreements." 1994, 1995. The Columbia Encyclopedia, Fifth Edition. New York: Columbia University Press, 1995..21 April 2003.  http://www.slider.com/enc/16000/disarmament_nuclear_International_Agreements.htm .

CNN. "Detente: 1969-1975. Cold War: Episode 16." CNN Perspective Series. http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/episodes/16/.

Foreign Policy Decisions Are Often Thought of

Foreign policy decisions are often thought of as collective events, conceptualized more in terms of sociology, historical patterns, structures, institutions, and culture before the individual psychological variables are considered. Situational and circumstantial variables are considered tantamount to psychological traits, cognitive, emotional, or behavioral cues. Structural perspectives like realism, neoliberalism, and idealism had become more important than focusing on the actual actors making decisions, just as the behaviors of corporations cloud the behaviors of their leaders. Yet power brokers and state-level actors are individual people, with attendant backgrounds, biases, and beliefs. The cluster of variables impacting personal-level decision making likewise impacts macro-level decision making. Foreign policy decisions can and should be viewed with a psychological lens in order to better understand historical successes and failures, and perhaps ironically even used to inform more effective foreign policy. Foreign policy analysis does in fact depend on a thorough understanding of psychological variables and constraints.….

Abshire, D. & Dickson, B. War by miscalculation. The Washington Quarterly 6(4), 114-124, 1983.

Alden, C. & Amran, A. Foreign Policy Analysis. New York: Routledge, 2012.

Boulding, K.E. The Image. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1961.

Greenstein, F.I. The impact of personality on the end of the cold war. Political Psychology 19(1), 1-16, 1998.

Foreign Policy Bureaucracy How Do

The U.S. And Russia reportedly have about 90% of all the nuclear weapons in the world. So if this treaty makes sense for both sides, and shows a newfound sense of cooperation between the two nations that were Cold ar enemies, why would there be dissention in the U.S. Senate? That question can be answered a couple different ways. For one, there is a very divided and hostile political situation in ashington, D.C.; during the past two years the major pieces of legislation that Obama has pushed through have received not a single Republican vote. Obama's stimulus bill, $862 billion, that many economists say helped avoid a depression, did not get a single Republican vote. The biggest reform of all Street in the nation's history passed without a single Republican vote, and likewise, the healthcare reform act, a "major overhaul" -- that will provide 30 million Americans with health coverage….

Tapper, Jake. "Passage of Major legislation Can't Stop Obama's Poll Numbers From Dropping."

ABC News. Retrieved Dec. 17, 2010, from  http://abcnews.go.com .

United States Senate. "Treaties." Retrieved Dec. 17, 2010, from  http://www.senate.gov .

Yahoo News. "Senate kicks off debate over U.S. -- Russia arms treaty." Retrieved Dec. 17,

Foreign Policy Towards the Middle

" that one administration official observed, "I can assure you a young generation of terrorists is being created" (Zaharna 2003). At present, "The current [Israeli-Palestinian] conflict is mortgaging the future of both nations. A new generation of Palestinians is coming of age. More than 50% of the population of the est Bank and Gaza is under the age of 15," which means that the U.S. must act now before a new generation of terrorists is born (Enderlin 2002). As a result of the Israeli security measures to impose order on the est Bank, unemployment and poverty in Gaza and the est Bank are at unprecedented levels. "More than two-thirds of Palestinian children live on less than $1.90 a day," a situation of economic distress that makes the region a fertile breeding ground for terror and is also a public relations boon to nations that use the occupation as justification for anti-U.S.….

Clayton, Mark. "Breaking free." The Christian Science Monitor. Sci-Tech: Computers and Technology. 21 Oct 2004. 27 Apr 2007.  http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1021/p13s02-stct.html 

Enderlin, Charles. "Shattered Dreams": an inside look at Israeli-Palestinian negotiations." Tolerance.org. 2002. 27 Apr 2007.  http://www.tolerance.ca/Article.aspx?ID=59&L=fr 

Haass, Richard. "The New Middle East." Foreign Affairs.

November/December 2006.

Foreign Policy in the Caribbean

He suggests that other reasons were secondary and complementary to economic goals. First and foremost, Americans were interested in enriching themselves and the policy of the government reflected this goal. Healy agrees that there were economic concerns but he argues that there was multiplicity of goals. He specifically emphasizes that Americans were concerned about German threat to American interests in the region. He also notes that Americans viewed Central Americans with disdain and racial arrogance, so their goal in the region was to "civilize" them and develop economically. hile I believe these are noteworthy points, they do not negate the fact that economic concerns were at the forefront of U.S. policy in the Caribbean. American leaders were aware that German military threat to American national integrity was severely limited. The threat Germany posed was directed at American economic interests in the region. American racial arrogance also does not negate the fact….

Works Cited:

LaFeber, Walter. Inevitable Revolutions: the U.S. In Central America. W.W.: Norton, 1993. Print.

Healy, David. Drive to Hegemony: the United States in the Caribbean, 1898-1917. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press. Print.

Foreign Policy Regarding Israel and Palestine

Foreign policy regarding Israel & Palestine The entire issue of Israel and Palestine is complicated by the position that the state of Israel is Jewish, to whom the Western countries have a guilt complex due to the actions of Hitler, and the fact that Palestine is Islamic and Islamic countries control most of the available petroleum of the world. In looking at foreign policy, the main element of relationship between two countries when they are not neighbors, or closely connected through history is the commercial relationship, and that is what determines their decisions on bilateral and multilateral maters. The entire area of Middle East is where the American arms go, and this creates a lot of profits for the weapons manufacturers in U.S.. Even after the Gulf War has ended, and before the war in Iraq started, the total arms export to this region was more than $60 billion. Most of the….

Zaharna, R.S. Israel's Policy of Targeting Terrorists: Implications for the U.S. Volume 6,

Number 32. September 2001. Retrieved from  http://www.fpif.org/briefs/vol6/v6n32exjud_body.html  Accessed 4 September, 2005

Zunes, Stephen. Howard Dean: Hawk in Dove's Clothing? February 26, 2003. Retrieved from  http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0226-04.htm  Accessed 4 September, 2005

Zunes, Stephen. 10 Things to Know about U.S. Policy in the Middle East. 26 September, 2001.

Foreign Policy Ronald Reagan and

S. held canal back to Panama, and, importantly, the Iran hostage crisis that erupted during the later years of his presidency. The crisis highlighted Carter's weaknesses as a negotiator and military leader as neither his diplomatic nor military attempts to release the hostages succeeded, and they were released a few moments after Ronald Reagan was sworn in as president. Despite being welcomed on such a positive foreign policy note, Reagan had a great deal of foreign policy failures as well. Although he succeeded in his goal of building up the United States' military arsenal, in addition to fostering a better relationship with the U.S.S.R. And Mikhail Gorbechev throughout his later years as president, Reagan's involvement in the Middle East and Latin America was characterized by failure. In the Middle East, Reagan's unfaltering support of Israel increased other nations' hostility toward the West. Additionally, Reagan's support of the Contras and the Iran-Contra….

Foreign Policy in My Opinion

Compliance with the regulations is likely to be high when a regulation fits well with the existing market practices or when the regulations are supported by cultural norms and civic institutions. To elicit compliance with the fisheries policy in the European Union which is inhabited by people with different cultural practices, the stakeholders should consider partnering with civil society organizations and build support through education. To guarantee success of a regulatory framework in the context of the Common Fisheries Policy in the European Union, prior consultation with target population is imperative. This helps in finding out about factors that are central to the policy implementation. It also helps in securing group support. This helps in building a sense of ownership among the target group. This helps in increasing commitment to the objectives of the policy being rolled out. The regulator, in the process, comes up with better solutions (Organization….

References List

Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2000). Reducing the Risk of Policy

Failure: Challenges for Regulatory Compliance. Retrieved July 28, 2013 from  http://www.oecd.org/gov/regulatory-policy/46466287.pdf 

Riley, G. (2012). Government Failure. Retrieved July 28, 2013 from  http://www.tutor2u.net/economics/revision-notes/as-marketfailure-government-failure.html 

Stone, C. (1975). Where the Law Ends: The Social Control of Corporate Behavior. New York:

Foreign Policy United States Foreign

Conflict prevention theory may seem contradictory in a country that has just held a civil war, but it remains an important focus of U.S. foreign policy going forward in Libya. Socio-historical problems facing Libya stem from the tribal bonds that divide the nation. The United States must focus on finding a balance between the tribes rather than supporting a single tribe over the others, as it had when cooperating with Qaddafi. Politically, the three major cities of Libya are Tripoli, Misrata and Benghazi. These cities will have to find a way to power broker themselves in order to create a thriving democracy, based in Tripoli, but representative of the other two cities, as all three places are cornerstones of Libya's future as well as strong reminders of the country's past, on which a successful future can be built. Libya is the only country of the four analyzed in this paper that….

References:

"Carnegie Corporation of New York: Search Publications." Carnegie Corporation of New York: Home. Web. 24 Oct. 2011. .

"QDDR." U.S. Department of State. Web. 24 Oct. 2011. .

Foreign Policy Dealing With Clothing Manufacturing in Over Seas Third Countries Bangladesh

Foreign Policy Dealing With Clothing Manufacturing in Over Seas Third Countries angladesh The objective of this study is to answer as to what the problem is in dealing with U.S. clothing manufacturers who have their clothing created in third world countries such as angladesh in the view a leader and specifically a president in the free world. Specifically this work will answer as to what can be legally done and what sanctions might be put in place. This work will identify stakeholders and makers of the program and who would be involved in providing input during the programs development stage and what problems with the cultural environment might exist in addressing this problem. Further, this work will answer as to what might assist or present as a barrier to the program and examine historical implications and treaties or amendments that might be enforced. This work will additionally address how the message….

Bibliography

Fernandez-Stark, K, Frederick, S. And Gerei, G. (2011) The Apparel Global Value Chain: ECONOMIC UPGRADING AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. Nov 2011.

THE APPAREL INDUSTRY AND CODES OF CONDUCT: A Solution to the International Child Labor Problem? (nd) United States Department of Labor. Retrieved from: http://www.actrav.itcilo.org/actrav-english/telearn/global/ilo/code/apparel2.htm

Third World Women in Factories (2010) Cultural Survival. 17 Sept 2010. Retrieved from:  http://www.culturalsurvival.org/ourpublications/csq/article/third-world-women-factories

US Foreign Policy Under President Obama

Foreign policy is one of the major issues that have played a critical role in the history of the United States. The significance of foreign policy in America’s governance system is shown in the influential role it plays during U.S. Presidential Elections. Foreign policy has been at the center of America’s politics, especially in the recent past because of the increased global security concerns. While foreign policy remains controversial issue in the United States, it’s derived from the nation’s democratic system. Presidential candidates and policymakers in the U.S. take different foreign policy perspectives that are geared towards safeguarding the interests of American people. In this regard, United States’ foreign policy is shaped by different policy traditions or schools of thought. President Obama’s foreign policy fell into liberal foreign policy tradition, which is based on the belief that most countries will cooperate if adequate goodwill and confidence is established between them (Ondrejcsák,….

Kennedy vs Eisenhower Foreign Policy

Introduction The military experience that President Dwight D. Eisenhower took to the White House was largely without precedent. In sharp contrast to President Harry S. Truman’s years, some of the White House functions and structures were reorganized – with new positions being introduced in an attempt to promote the efficient running of government business. President John F. Kennedy, on the other hand, sought to ease the bureaucratic structure left by his predecessor. Just as we can compare and contrast the domestic policies of both presidents, and their approach to the conduction of government business, we can also evaluate their foreign policy perspectives with an intention of comparing and contrasting their outlook. Discussion Like Kennedy, Eisenhower had a keen interest in foreign affairs. His liking for organization as well as staff work was largely sourced from his role a military commander. Towards this end, he sought to ensure that the integrated policy review system….

Americas Foreign Policy Strategy During and After the Cold War

Causes, Course, and Consequences of the Vietnam War against the USA As the world’s superpower, the United States got involved in the Vietnam War but left the country with a mortifying conquest, appallingly high fatalities, the public in America cuttingly divided, and the leaders unsure of the way forward regarding foreign policy. The Vietnam War is in history as American’s most protracted and enervating war that the country ever lost and had an overarching impact and consequences on multiple facets of the American life including foreign policy, domestic politics, and the economy. Causes of the Vietnam War The U. S. immersion in the Vietnam War was primarily caused by the communist containment policy developed when the Cold War began in combination with aspects of Wilsonianism (Thayer, 2016).  Two ideological superpowers divided Europe at the end of WW2. President Truman had anticipated that Eastern Europe that was newly conquered would hold free elections and….

Sino Japanese Foreign Relations in the 21st Century

What does the future hold for relations between China and Japan? Given their longstanding disputes and track record of going to war over resources, it would be reasonable to suggest that future relations between China and Japan are going to be characterized by a reluctant, pragmatic trade-off between bi-lateral commerce and the need to hammer out their respective differences over foreign policy current issues on which they currently diverge. Although Japan horsewhipped China militarily throughout the early 20th century in its quest for scarce resources to fuel its enormous war machinery, things have changed and China is no longer the second-class nation Japan faced prior to and during World War II. Moreover, because these two nations are both the main Asian economic juggernauts, the stakes are high for Japan and China as well as the rest of the international community. While there are no foreign policy crystal balls that can help….

Foreign Policy War on Terror

It is difficult to state that the national security apparatus is underperforming when you have clear statistical results: no attacks in the last five years. This means that something must be functioning at full parameters there and that the informational community is also operating with those in other countries to obtain these results (the attacks planned for London and stopped are a good example in this sense). On the other hand, a counter argument to this statement is that the war is not against national terrorism: it is a global war on global terrorism, the U.S. have pledged to wipe out terrorism on a global scale and this, as shown in the article, is not yet giving full results. Indeed, the attacks in London and Madrid are a good example in this sense, if we consider only some of the most important cases of extremist Arab terrorism. As to the ush….

1. Foreign Policy and the Center for American Progress. The Terrorism Index. July/August 2006. On the Internet at  http://web0.foreignpolicy.com/issue_julyaug_2006/TI-index/index.html 

Foreign Policy and the Center for American Progress. The Terrorism Index. July/August 2006. On the Internet at

American History

Foreign Policy Nixon's Detente Description Detente was a cooling down, or thaw, among America, Russia and China's arms' race (Detente). The United States and Russia could either slow their weapons production or…

Foreign policy decisions are often thought of as collective events, conceptualized more in terms of sociology, historical patterns, structures, institutions, and culture before the individual psychological variables are considered.…

Research Paper

The U.S. And Russia reportedly have about 90% of all the nuclear weapons in the world. So if this treaty makes sense for both sides, and shows a…

History - Israel

" that one administration official observed, "I can assure you a young generation of terrorists is being created" (Zaharna 2003). At present, "The current [Israeli-Palestinian] conflict is mortgaging the future…

Literature - Latin-American

He suggests that other reasons were secondary and complementary to economic goals. First and foremost, Americans were interested in enriching themselves and the policy of the government reflected…

Foreign policy regarding Israel & Palestine The entire issue of Israel and Palestine is complicated by the position that the state of Israel is Jewish, to whom the Western countries…

S. held canal back to Panama, and, importantly, the Iran hostage crisis that erupted during the later years of his presidency. The crisis highlighted Carter's weaknesses as a negotiator…

Compliance with the regulations is likely to be high when a regulation fits well with the existing market practices or when the regulations are supported by cultural norms…

Conflict prevention theory may seem contradictory in a country that has just held a civil war, but it remains an important focus of U.S. foreign policy going forward in…

Foreign Policy Dealing With Clothing Manufacturing in Over Seas Third Countries angladesh The objective of this study is to answer as to what the problem is in dealing with U.S.…

Politics - Foreign Policy

Foreign policy is one of the major issues that have played a critical role in the history of the United States. The significance of foreign policy in America’s governance…

Introduction The military experience that President Dwight D. Eisenhower took to the White House was largely without precedent. In sharp contrast to President Harry S. Truman’s years, some of the…

Causes, Course, and Consequences of the Vietnam War against the USA As the world’s superpower, the United States got involved in the Vietnam War but left the country with a…

Government - Foreign Policy

What does the future hold for relations between China and Japan? Given their longstanding disputes and track record of going to war over resources, it would be reasonable to suggest…

It is difficult to state that the national security apparatus is underperforming when you have clear statistical results: no attacks in the last five years. This means that…

45 Most Interesting Policy Essay Topics to Stand Out Among Peers

Here are some great topics on state policies. Where you have links, they lead to the review of credible sources, which you can use to write your essay (summaries and APA and MLA citations are included).

Economics essay topics

1. Does national debt pose a threat to the country? Should the government be held responsible for increasing the national debt?

2. Should the government spend part of its budget on foreign aid?

3. Should the state spend part of its budget on space exploration?  Review of credible sources on the topic. 

4. Should the rich pay a higher percentage of taxes?

5. What can increase long-run economic growth? Whose role is primary here: of a state or of business?

6. What national policies can increase the economic welfare of citizens?

7. Does globalization have a positive or negative effect on the national economy?

Justice, election, and immigration laws essay topics

8. How does the level of patriotism affect election and immigration laws? (see other ideas and sources for a  patriotism essay )

9. Is political compromise a good thing?

10. Should the electoral college exist?

11. Should the costs of election campaigns be capped?

12. Should prisoners be allowed to vote?

13. Should the death penalty be banned?  Other sociology topics .

14. Are community sentences effective in tackling crime or do they simply alternate with incarceration so that the prisons are not overcrowded?

15. What should be the state’s policy in relation to immigration? Consider both work immigrants and refugees, from Syria in particular.

Defense and homeland security essay topics

16. What should be the policy in relation to gun carry?

17. Should the state interfere with the military conflicts of other states? In what way? In what cases?

18. Are government surveillance and intelligence community infringing on the citizens’ rights?  Review of credible sources on the topic. 

19. Should intelligence be given access to social media accounts? (See other ideas and sources for a  social media essay )

20. Is the role of the media in relation to security rather positive or negative?

21. Should there be laws prohibiting hate speech? Should hate speech be regulated on the Internet?

21. Does the state do enough to ensure the security of the nation? You may narrow the focus to airports/schools/poor districts, etc.

Heath and social care essay topics

23. Should the United States change its healthcare policy? Why?  See other healthcare topics .

24. Should abortion be legal?

25. Should euthanasia be legal?

26. Should genetic engineering in humans be legal?  Review of credible sources on the topic. 

27. Should unconventional forms of medicine be part of national healthcare?

28. Should marijuana be legalized?

29. Should television commercials for alcohol be banned?

30. Should there be state regulation of fast-food chains/McDonald’s/schools’ menus?

31. Should the state regulate the price of pharmaceutical products?

32. Can/should the state tackle the issue of the high divorce rate?

33. Should the developed states address human trafficking issues? How? Can the opt-out donation system ease the situation? Should doctors be required to report the cases when people who are not on the national list receive a needed organ?  Review of credible sources on the topic. 

Labor and education laws essay topics

34. Should the state regulate the education fees of colleges and universities?

35. Does college still pay off for individual citizens?

36. Does the state benefit from a bigger number of people receiving higher education? If yes, should higher education be (a least partly) funded by the state?

37. What should be the policy of the state in relation to class size? The two options are either to pay teachers to teach large classes more or to reduce the number of students in a class by opening new schools and classes.

38. Should immigrants be required to learn the national language?

39. Some developing countries pay a high price – citizens’ health – for economic development. Should the developed states help and demand their suppliers from developing countries to comply with their labor laws?

40. Should taking vacations be compulsory?

Environmental policy essay topics

41. Should the state invest in fighting against global warming/global ecological threats when there are many countries that contribute to the worsening of the situation?

42. Should the government pass laws to make fracking illegal?

43. Should people be fined for not recycling?

44. Some people claim the policy concerning the cutting of trees is somehow ambiguous because it is difficult to say what is the primary need: logs to be used for paper, houses, and furniture or the trees. What should be the policy of the state concerning deforestation?

45. Should developed states help and demand their suppliers to comply with European norms in relation to the environment?

These topics are rather general and are meant for the general public. Alternatively, you can write about  any current political event  assessing its relevance and possibly predicting its outcomes.

It is also possible to argue for the  positive or negative effect  of a particular policy, which was introduced in the past or has been introduced recently .

You can also investigate political science theories ,  compare various state types,  or  critically evaluate the ideas of a particular political thinker .

If you need professional assistance to turn your rough draft into a winning sociology essay, consider creating an order or use an online chat to ask for essay writing help.

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American Foreign Policy

The most significant threat to united states interests in the next decade and how american foreign policy can be shaped to address the threat.

Foreign policy refers to the strategies a country uses to create good diplomatic relationships and interactions with other countries globally. It means that foreign policy works towards bringing nations together, having common goals and interests, and eliminating differences that might make countries uncooperative in their foreign policy goals. America has a well-developed foreign policy that has been applied for many years, and this foreign policy has guiding principles that align America’s foreign policy with the best interests of other countries and the world. American foreign policy currently focuses on interests such as security promotion, protecting the lives of Americans and their interests, economic prosperity, making the world better through development, and promoting international policies such as human rights and environmental policies. However, in the modern world, various issues have become a threat to the Americas’ interests, which are unavoidable due to the rapid changes taking place in the world (Myrick, 2021). These threats will continue to evolve with time and may negatively affect American foreign policy if the United States does not take precautions and address the threats. Therefore, this paper aims to unveil the most significant threat to the United States interests in the next ten years and strategies the U.S. must adopt through its foreign policy to deal with the threat.

In the modern world, there are many threats to the United States’ interests, affecting the most important interests of the American continent. These threats are expected to continue in the coming years because the U.S. cannot stop them but can only develop effective strategies to counter these threats and continue with the goal of protecting and achieving its interests. These threats include geopolitical competition, terrorism, climate change, nuclear wars, and cyber security threats (Biden, 20211). However, geopolitical competition is the most significant threat to U.S. interests in the next ten years. Geopolitical competition is the increase in political power of countries linked to some geographical regions whereby these countries have gained more economic and political powers hence competing with other countries having the same or higher powers. Geopolitical competition creates rivalry among nations competing to become influential in all areas of the world economy, such as security, political matters, global economic matters, and overall world control (Markowitz & Fariss, 2018). Currently, the United States is the leading superpower country, which shows that it controls world matters while advancing its interests. However, in recent times, China has emerged as a rapidly rising economy, and this has threated the U.S. in achieving its interests. Also, Russia, a long time enemy of the U.S., is becoming a threat to the U.S. due to its improved influence in world matters.

Therefore, China’s growing influence in the world’s economy and political matters is a threat to the U.S., and the threat is expected to continue in the next ten years as these countries continue to develop rapidly to ensure they become superpowers in the future. Stares (2019) in his study discusses China and Russia as countries that can threaten the United States’ interests in the modern world and the following years. In the article, China and Russia’s relations with the United States have deteriorated, with tensions emerging among these countries in various disputed areas. The lack of good relations between these two geopolitical regions is a significant threat to the United States as China and Russia, coming from the same geographical area, are strengthening their relations to become a great force that can challenge the dominance of the U.S. in the global arena. Thus, there is a developing competition between China, Russia, and the U.S. in all economic sectors. China has become a global economic power in the modern world taking a bigger percentage of the global markets and production of products. This has threatened the economic power of the U.S., and China’s economic transformation is expected to increase in the next ten years (Stares, 2019).

The economic growth of the Asian region is becoming a big threat to U.S. interests as the countries there, China and Russia, are cooperating to make the region an economic powerhouse, which will threaten U.S. economic power. China’s current Gross Domestic Product is $ 12.48 trillion, with the expectation of massive growth in the next ten years. This GDP compares to that of the U.S. which is at $ 24.26.24 trillion currently. Therefore, the combination of China and Russia’s economic growth will be a threat to U.S. interests in the next decade. Also, geopolitical competition threatens U.S. interests due to the technological improvements taking place in the Asian country. China has and will continue developing modern technology, such as the use of artificial intelligence, space exploration, manufacture of modern military equipment for high level espionage, which will become a threat in the future to the U.S. in its interest of global security as China may become a technological superpower. The technological advancements have made China develop a military presence in the Asian region, with Russia joining China to form military alliances that will become strong and unbeatable by the U.S. in the next. The military presence will make it hard for the U.S. to have a peaceful co-existence in case of security tensions, and this may lead to war risks in the world with these countries ready to unleash their military power to gain influence on military power.

Cyber security is another area in geopolitical competition that will threaten U.S. interests in the next decade. China is growing its cyber security space and will compete with the U.S., which is the current cyber power globally to the report of the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Dominance in cyberspace is a strategic interest for the United States, but the current rise of cyber security capabilities by China supported by Russia will become a big threat to cyberspace security currently controlled by the United States (Williams, 2021). The growth of digital technology in China will join the top-tier position currently held by the U.S., making it a threat to U.S. interest in dominating cyber space. However, the issue of geopolitical competition cannot be avoided as China and other countries have the power and resources to take over the world in various interests. Thus, the U.S. must use its foreign policy to address the issue of geopolitical competition.

The ways in which the U.S. can use its foreign policy to address geopolitical competition include the U.S. engaging in strategic competition with China. This means that the U.S. should mutually accept to cooperate with China on various global issues such as balancing economic dominance, military presence, sharing technological advancements and using them to benefit the world, and balanced trade. Diplomatic dialogue between these countries needs to focus on improving the world in a balanced manner and have diplomatic representatives focusing on eliminating any misunderstandings and tensions that may arise to ensure a collaborative existence that does not threaten the interests of the countries globally. The second area American foreign policy should focus on is engaging in balanced economic activities such as global trade by allowing trade fair trade practices between the two countries. The diplomatic representative should resolve trade disputes and encourage international trade with goods from both countries allowed to enter each other’s market to promote international trade with fair practices. American foreign policy should encourage increased cooperation in security matters by joining security alliances that promote global security and addressing security matters as a team to enhance trust. American foreign policy should ensure that security alliances such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) cooperate with Asian security alliances, especially China and Russia, to promote collective security intervention and adhere to international law, which will eliminate disputes and tensions that may become a threat to the United States (Lee et al., 2018).

The United States should invest more in rapidly emerging areas such as technology to continue being the leading technology power. The United States should increase cyber security research and development to be aware of all possible emerging technologies that may be a threat, such as in security and cyber-attacks. The technology upgrade will ensure that ultra-modern and the most sophisticated technologies are present to gain a technological edge over China. This will eliminate threats to cyberspace that might interfere with the United States’ interests in protecting Americans and other people globally from cyber-related problems from terrorism, which relies on cyberspace to conduct attacks. Also, technological advancements and innovation should be protected as intellectual property of the U.S. to avoid spies who may sell it to the competitors, thus becoming a threat as China can use this advantage to develop the best technological solutions thus creating a threat thus affecting the interest of American in the world (Moreland, 2019).

In conclusion, geopolitical competition is the most significant threat to United States interests in the next decade. Countries like China are becoming more powerful thanks to rapid economic growth, improved political structures, and technological advancements. Therefore, the United States can shape its foreign policy to address geopolitical competition by using diplomatic dialogues and cooperation, balancing economic dominance, fair trade practices, adherence to international law, collective security alliances, and cooperation on cyberspace matters to create a unified system to fight cyber-related issues. Using these strategies, the United States will ensure that its foreign policy effectively eliminates threats created by geopolitical competition in the next ten years.

Biden, J. R. (2022). Biden-Harris White House National Security Strategy, October 2022.  Collections ,  2022 , 10-12.

Lee, S. O., Wainwright, J., & Glassman, J. (2018). Geopolitical economy and the production of territory: The case of U.S.–China geopolitical-economic competition in Asia.  Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space ,  50 (2), 416-436.

Markowitz, J. N., & Fariss, C. J. (2018). Power, proximity, and democracy: Geopolitical competition in the international system.  Journal of Peace Research ,  55 (1), 78-93.

Moreland, W. (2019). The purpose of multilateralism: A framework for democracies in a geopolitically competitive world.

Myrick, R. (2021). Do external threats unite or divide? Security crises, rivalries, and polarization in American foreign policy.  International Organization ,  75 (4), 921-958.

Stares, P. B. (2019). Preparing for the Next Foreign Policy Crisis.

Williams, B.(2021). US ‘Retains Clear Superiority’ In Cyber; China Rising: IISS Study.  Breaking Defense. https://breakingdefense.com/2021/06/us-retains-clear-superiority-in-cyber-but-china-poised-to-challenge-study/

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Essay On US Foreign Policy

Type of paper: Essay

Topic: United States , Thinking , Japan , Africa , Internet , Environment , Environmental Issues , Politics

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Published: 11/27/2020

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Introduction Joseph Nye’s book titled what matters is compelling in that it strives to predict the future of the US government foreign policy. But Yogi Berra, the great shrewd of baseball, was heard saying, “Never make predictions—principally about the future.” He apparently had a point but if we go back three decades, to the late 1970s, the Cold War was in earnest, and conservative wisdom held that American power was in the decline. But of course no one saw the Internet coming. Why must we think we can do any better by looking forward 30-plus years? Perhaps we will not, but planning is compulsory. A few the planes and ships in use today were made more than 40 years ago, and some of those planned today will be the work-horses of the air force and navy in the 2040. The current energy reserves will help to determine the extent of our future dependence on oil and our impact on climate change. This kind of preparation is a form of prediction, and it needs us to stretch our horizons and imagine—and may be to shape—a better future. The current trends will not essentially continue but the conditions may change so much that even sensible seers look preposterous and the ridiculous sometimes comes true. For instance, in 1978, was anyone predicting that China would have the world’s fourth-largest economy or that the whole encyclopedias would be fixed on a silicon wafer smaller than a newborn’s fingernail? Currently, the conventional wisdom avers that geopolitics in 2040 will be dominated by Russia, India, Brazil, and China. But this scenario assumes that their economic development will rise in a linear projection and that they will experience only some minor political disruptions and it ignores probable conflicts of interest among them. It is also vital to remember that the more accurate the estimate, the more probable it is to mislead since there are countless possible futures. To venture into the future, we must to begin someplace, however, and that means making certain assumptions. Among the assumptions is the populations of Europe, Japan, and Russia which will continue to fall; India’s economy will not exceed China’s; the frivolous pace of technological revolution will persist to drive globalization; and the US economy will however remain open and inventive. The writer avers that the US National Intelligence Council which he headed in the early 1990s, and he made a comparable list, which projected a dozen relative certainties about the global landscape circa 2020. They included the globalization will continue but with a less Western orientation; the world economy will be substantially larger but with vital gaps between the haves and the have-nots and that the global companies will spread new technologies. He also alluded that Asia will rise in significance; in-ground energy supplies will be satisfactory to meet the demand, but the supply disruptions are probable. It is apparent that he was not wrong in the cases of Asia rising and that they would be lesser Western influence in the world economic growth. This has now turned to be true in that China has become the country to beat in Africa where it is building world-class roads, stadiums and other infrastructures. The Western countries have been pushed to the periphery. As far as the issue of Asia rising in significance, this is also true. For instance, Japanese cars now fill up the African roads and the Western cars such Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, BMW, Land Rover and lorries, such as the Bedfords are no longer seen on the African roads. He also predicted that non-state actors, ranging from the charitable organizations to terrorist groups, will grow in number and power; and that political Islam will remain a compelling force which has turned out to be true. He also stated that some states will amplify the capabilities of their weapons of mass destruction, and at the same time the others will seek to obtain them which has turned out to be true. He was also not wrong when he predicted that an arc of instability will span the Middle East, Asia, and Africa and that the world war among great powers is not likely. He was right when he said that the environmental and ethical issues will come to the fore and that the United States will remain the world’s single most powerful actor. It is still a great power but as things now look, China will be a power to reckon with in the next few years. This is so because looking at the way they have been moving into Africa and the big grants they have been giving to any willing country, things can only get bad for the USA. The writer predicts that the future in which, say, weapons of mass destruction are used frequently will be considerably unusual from one in which the most significant inclination is the spread of wealth through globalization and technological revolution for the better. This is one argument that I am not able to agree with because the countries that would have been able to use the weapons of mass destruction have since been subdued. This includes the Afghanistan, Iraq and lately Iran. But what will be the key forces driving the future? The demography is an excellent place to start, where currently the world has 6.7 billion people and by 2040 and it will have approximately 9.0 billion and that easy fact will reshape everything. Just try to think of the world in 2040 as a small village with only 100 inhabitants. The population of the village would be something like, 56 Asians, 16 Africans, 4 Americans, 9 people from the rest of the Western Hemisphere. 5 would be from Western Europe, 7 from the rest of Europe, and 3 from the Middle East. But among the richest countries, the United States will certainly see its population amplify, to about 400 million from roughly 306 million while Russia’s may well fall by roughly a third, to 100 million from 141 million. With that as the context, and acknowledging the fact of the 12 relative certainties of the National Intelligence Council, what might that portend for global politics? So far as conservative nation-state politics is concerned, the most vital factor will be the continuing “return of Asia.” During the 1750, the continent had three-fifths of the world’s population and three-fifths of the world’s GDP. But by the 1900, after the industrial revolution in Europe and America, Asia’s share had dropped to one-fifth of the world’s GDP. By 2040, Asia will be well on the way to regaining its historical share and the greater clout of China and India possibly will create instability, but the emergence of new powers is a problem with precedents, and history can show how to influence the outcome. A century ago, Britain was able to accommodate the rise of American power without conflict, but the failure to put up with the German power led to two devastating world wars. One of the indication features of geopolitics currently, on the other hand, is the rise of non-state actors helped and abetted by novel technology. But forty years ago, the immediate global communication was very costly and was thus restricted to the governments and corporations. Currently, anyone who can pay a few cents in an Internet café can have the world at his keyboard. The satellite photos that once cost the superpowers billions of dollars are now commercially accessible at no cost. The barriers to entry into the world politics have fallen, and this is why the non-state actors now crowd the stage. On September 11, 2001, one such faction killed more Americans than the government of Japan managed to do at Pearl Harbor. This is a new world in which we have very little experience, but the problems of the diffusion of power away from states possibly will turn out to be more difficult than the movement of power among them. Conclusion I agree with the writer, Joseph Nye when he predicts that the United States and the way it uses its power will be the final of the three key agents of change. Even though the United States might still be the world’s most powerful country in 2040, the inconsistency of its power is that this nation—the strongest since the days of colonial Rome—might not be influential enough to protect its citizens by itself. The country will still remain military leaders, but it will not be sufficient enough to deal with the international threats such as the global pandemics, international crime, terrorism and climate change. By defeating the Islamist terrorism, for instance, calls for the much needed assistance, such as the sharing of intelligence amongst the police forces of diverse countries. It will also be compulsory to attract the hearts and minds of the mainstream Muslims. But although the US military supremacy will remain essential, when used in the wrong way it could somehow weaken the soft power required to win in the future. The significant point is not whether my picture of the geopolitical world in 2040 is exact, but that we must start thinking about the implications of different scenarios and what drives them.

Gutman, R. (1988) Banana Diplomacy: The Making of American Policy. New York : Simon and Schuster. Cameron, F. (2002) U.S. Foreign Policy after the Cold War. New York, NY: Routledge,

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• Lesson Plans
• Teacher's Guides
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Lesson 1: The Question of an American Empire

"Ten Thousand Miles From Tip to Tip" meaning the extension of United States imperialism from Puerto Rico to the Philippines (1898).

Wikipedia Commons

The U.S. Census of 1890 famously declared the American frontier to be closed. A decade later, the United States appeared well on the way to establishing new frontiers and perhaps a new imperial political system. The United States annexed the independent Hawaiian Islands; acquired Puerto Rico, the Philippines and Guam from Spain as part of the settlement ending the Spanish-American War; and dealt with threats to the political integrity and open markets of China. Cuba would soon become a political protectorate. The United States also acquired sovereign control over the Panama Canal Zone and declared its willingness to intervene if a country in the Western Hemisphere jeopardized the Monroe Doctrine by failing to maintain internal order or to pay its international debts. Americans argued at length whether such actions properly fit into their sense of national purpose and advanced their material interests.

This lesson will introduce the students to the challenges of American foreign policy in the late 19th century and specifically to the political debate over whether the United States should acquire further territory and/or become a European-style empire. With the help of primary source documents students will debate this issue to help them come to their own assessment of the idea of an American Empire.

Guiding Questions

Why did the U.S. pursue national expansion and imperialism in the late 19th century?

Learning Objectives

Define imperialism and explain its significance for late 19th century America.

Examine the reasons why imperialism appealed to many in the U.S. in the 1890s.

Evaluate the use of "Manifest Destiny" within U.S. History and its connection to imperialism during the 1890s.

Compare the competing perspectives regarding imperialism.

Evaluate the relevance of imperialism in the 1890s to today.

Lesson Plan Details

The late 19th century was a time of great hope and anxiety for the United States. Several decades of extraordinary growth had transformed the United States into the world’s leading industrial power; yet a financial panic in 1893 plunged the nation into a major economic depression.  The American people were now a generation removed from the fierce divisions created by the Civil War (setting apart the continuing mistreatment of African-Americans). But other potentially violent fault lines had emerged between debtors (especially farmers) and creditors, as well as between labor and capital. The major European powers scrambled for new colonies and influence in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. These aggressive European empires and a newly-rising Japan threatened to exclude American business from vital overseas markets and to expand into the Western Hemisphere. Yet there was considerable hope that science, commerce and civilization had reached the point where international conflict might be prevented or limited by international cooperation.  

Some Americans felt that they must exercise greater influence over this brave yet frightening new world if they were to restore their economic prosperity, domestic peace, and sense of national purpose. But they did not agree on the best means of looking outward. Should the United States enter a new era of Manifest Destiny and further expand American territory, especially beyond continental North America? If so, should the United States become a European-style empire (that is, a nation that governed other peoples without extending to them the full rights of citizens)?  Were there other ways besides expansion and empire by which the United States could legitimately pursue its material interests and sense of national purpose? 

Several broad intellectual currents and political assumptions affected how Americans approached these questions.  The United States, it was generally agreed, required greater access to foreign markets to avoid economic crises like the Panic of 1893. American manufacturers and farmers were thought to be producing too many goods and foodstuffs for the U.S. domestic market to absorb, at a time when European nations and their empires had become increasingly protectionist. (The United States itself had adopted very high tariff rates after the Civil War.) The U.S. government and American businesses looked to lands like China, with hundreds of millions of potential consumers, as outlets for American products, if they did not fall victim to great power imperialism.

Americans were also influenced by the concept of Social Darwinism. Certain peoples and nations were supposedly superior, a fact demonstrated by their ability to expand and dominate others. Inferior races were condemned naturally to extinction or colonization. (Such views, a distortion of biological Darwinism, unfortunately fit in with older racial prejudices still held by many Americans). Frederick Jackson Turner’s seminal essay on the frontier in U.S. history suggested to some that the American democratic character was integrally linked to the challenges of expansion.  Variants of Social Darwinism held that culture was the defining variable and that inferior peoples were capable gradually of being elevated toward higher forms of civilization. It was the “white man’s burden” to lift up their lesser brethren through benevolent colonization. This outlook fit into long-standing U.S. missionary impulses and genuine humanitarian concerns. 

Americans were not completely given over to racial prejudices or to the argument that war was necessary to strengthen the national character.  They did appreciate, however, that the strategic map of their world had been altered by new technologies, especially steam power, railroads, and the telegraph. These technologies heralded major changes in warfare, lessened Americans’ traditional sense of geographic security, and challenged their ability to protect the nation’s overseas commerce. Captain Alfred Thayer Mahan, a widely-read military historian, and political allies such as Theodore Roosevelt argued that the United States must develop a modern navy, obtain new overseas bases, and secure critical lines of communication and commerce.    

These strategic trends and political assumptions did not necessary point towards the establishment of a formal U.S. empire. Public opinion was deeply influenced by a strong anti-imperialist movement, even if the anti-imperialists did not always win out on particular policy matters. Interest, ideals and experience pointed towards solutions other than expansion. Americans retained a deep attachment to the principle that peoples could be governed only with their own consent. The United States arguably could obtain access to overseas markets and military bases without establishing colonies. Perhaps domestic economic and political reform was the answer to overproduction. Racist assumptions cut both ways. Many supporters of an interventionist American foreign policy, as well as their opponents, did not want the country “tainted” by acquiring non-white peoples. And if foreign cultures were indeed highly resistant to change, perhaps the costs and risks of “civilizing” others was simply too great. The coming twentieth century would witness Americans trying to operate in a difficult, contentious middle ground between empire and non-intervention.

NCSS.D4.1.9-12. Construct arguments using precise and knowledgeable claims, with evidence from multiple sources, while acknowledging counterclaims and evidentiary weaknesses.

NCSS.D4.3.9-12. Present adaptations of arguments and explanations that feature evocative ideas and perspectives on issues and topics to reach a range of audiences and venues outside the classroom using print and oral technologies (e.g., posters, essays, letters, debates, speeches, reports, and maps) and digital technologies (e.g., Internet, social media, and digital documentary).

Activity 1. The Growth of Imperialism

Near the end of the 19th century Americans began to consider emulating the nations of Europe by building an overseas empire. In this activity, students will discuss the issue of imperialism and whether a policy of U.S. expansion was moral, constitutional and in America’s material interest.

To begin, discuss with students what Imperialism was and how it influenced America at the end of the Nineteenth Century (see background section for teachers). Explain to students that the idea of Imperialism was hotly contested during this time period.  Not all Americans believed that it was our “manifest destiny” to expand to other lands or that the growth of American international power and influence necessarily required the United States to acquire foreign colonies.

Break the class into two groups, those for imperialism and those against. (Note:  Although U.S. public opinion did not neatly fall into those two categories, especially before the Spanish-American War, this exercise is structured in this manner  to help students understand  the choices that Americans faced as they stepped onto the global stage as a great power. The remaining lessons in this Unit will consider variants and alternatives to imperialism.) Hand out the corresponding documents below for each group, located in their excerpted form on pages 1-9 of the attached Text Document and in their entirety on the EDSITEment-reviewed resources History Matters and American Memory Project at the Library of Congress .

Imperialists ( pages 1-4 of the text document ):

• “ The United States Looking Outwards ,” Alfred Thayer Mahan, 1890:
• Albert Beveridge, The March of the Flag, 1899  

Anti-Imperialists ( Pages 5-9 of the text document ):

• “Manifest Destiny,” Carl Schurz, October 1893
• William Jennings Bryan: The Paralyzing Influence of Imperialism, 1900

While students are reading the documents, which may be assigned as homework, they should complete the chart at the end of their packets (pages 4 and 9 respectively). On this chart they should list in the first column the arguments made by those for or against imperialism. In the second column, students should list their interpretation and what comments they would like to make about these arguments in preparation for a town hall discussion. Encourage students to bring additional information into their chart that they gleaned from their textbook and other classroom resources.  As a guide, students should list at least four facts per column.

Once students are finished reading the documents, hold a town hall discussion with the students. To do this, create a circle of desks/chairs in the center of the room. Place half of each group in the circle to debate whether or not America should build a colonial empire? While those students are in the circle talking, the rest of the class should be sitting outside the circle as active listeners. Each listener should record a least one question or comment that they would like to make when they move to the center of the circle. After about ten minutes have students switch roles, with the listeners having a chance to discuss what they wrote down from the first discussion group. 

Conclude the discussion by having students vote whether they would have supported imperialism at this point in American history. For lower students you may wish to conclude by having the class create a Venn diagram on the board showing the beliefs of each group. Where did each group stand? What were their views on colonization, race, and economics? This will help students clarify the similarities and differences between the two groups.

Students can be graded on their participation in the debate.

Also, students should be able to define the following:

• Imperialism
• Manifest Destiny

Finally, students should be able to write a brief essay answering the following:

• Why did American foreign policy embrace imperialism in the late 1800s?

Prior to the Spanish American War, there was much controversy over the annexation of Hawaii.  Teachers may wish to introduce this controversy to their students by have them look at documents concerning annexation at “ The Annexation of Hawaii: A Special Collection of Documents ”. Teachers could divide the class into two groups, those for and those against annexation, and using documents from this site stage a class debate over whether Hawaii should be annexed.

Selected EDSITEment Websites

• Alfred Thayer Mahan on Sea Power, 1890  
• Albert Beveridge, The March of the Flag, 1989
• “The Annexation of Hawaii: A Special Collection of Documents”
• Carl Schurz, “Manifest Destiny”
• Imperialism defined and Demonstrated
• National Archives, Teaching with Documents

Materials & Media

The question of an american empire: worksheet 1: imperialism beliefs, related on edsitement, lesson 2: the spanish–american war, lesson 3: the matter of the philippines, lesson 4: imperialism and the open door, the spanish–american war.

What Is Foreign Policy? Page URL copied to clipboard!

Foreign policy is how a country uses different strategies to guide its relationships with other countries and international organizations. 

This means that foreign policy is made up of different global issues, relationships with other countries, and even domestic politics. The foreign policy of the U.S. government may change between different presidential administrations. However, the guiding principles of U.S. foreign policy remain constant: promotion of security, democracy, prosperity, and development in the United States and around the world. 

In this video, learn more about how security, democracy, prosperity, and development inform U.S. foreign policy decisions. 

Discussion Questions 

Use the following discussion questions to guide your classroom conversations about this video. Refer to the timestamps to find the answers to these questions.

• How are the U.S. Constitution, president, and State Department all connected? (start – 1:00)
• Why do some foreign policy ideas change over time? (1:00 – 1:40)
• Describe the four categories of foreign policy identified in the video. (1:35 – 3:50) 
• Why is security an important guiding principle of foreign policy? (1:45 – 2:00)
• Do you agree or disagree with this statement from the video: “The United States defends human rights by holding governments accountable to their obligations under human rights standards and agreements”. Explain your reasoning. (2:00 – 3:00)
• Why is promoting economic prosperity around the world important for the United States? (3:00 – 3:15)
• Why does the United States provide aid to other countries? (3:15 – 3:50)
• How is foreign policy related to and affected by domestic policy? (3:50 – end)
• What are some of the country flags represented in this video? 
• What is one thing you learned from the video that you found interesting, surprising, or confusing?
• Summarize foreign policy.

Video Vocabulary

The following terms are referenced in this video. 

• Foreign policy – The collection of strategies a country uses to guide its relationships with other countries.
• Implementation – The process of making a decision or plan happen. 
• Interests – What a country sees as important or valuable.
• Security – Being free from danger or threat; safety. 
• Dynamics – A process of change or activity. 
• Bedrock – The ideas that something is based or built upon. 
• Infectious – Capable of spreading. 
• Entrepreneur – Someone who organizes and manages a business.
• Tandem – Working together. 
• Coherent – Having clarity and logic. 

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Foreign Policy Research Paper Topics for Successful Writing

Note: Only 'PhD' academic level option is available for Dissertation

27 Jan 2020

Writing a research paper about the foreign policy of your or any other country may seem rocket science at first: it requires a profound knowledge of the current geopolitical situation, as well as such sciences as sociology, geography, economy, and even psychology. Each and every decision in international relations is made after thorough calculations and analysis. Nothing is done randomly… or at least shouldn’t be.

International relations usually deal with politics, economy, law, energy and many other aspects of a country’s foreign policy, so you have a million and one topic options for your essay or thesis. The only limitation here is your time resource and deadline that must be taken into account when choosing the idea for your research paper. The topic you decide on must address some specific issues and add some new dimension to the already available academic literature. If necessary, your professor or tutor may help you come up with a winning idea or even assign one. Make sure that the subject you choose to explore has enough offline or online materials, for example, news platforms and peer-reviewed journals. This will not only provide you a reasonable basis for research but also help to defend your paper with credible sources.

Those who are struggling to select the final topic can take advantage of the list below. Our college essay writing service experts have collected different types of foreign policy topics to help start a research paper. Actually, they can do the same exclusively for you. Moreover, they can craft an entire piece according to your requirements.

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Easy Foreign Policy Research Paper Topics for All Occasions

To choose the easy and hot research paper topic about foreign policy, try checking the media first. Scroll the news, read the newspapers. Of course, not all journalists are experts in the international relations field; however, many of them are definitely aware of the latest events across the globe. Besides, when writing an article, they usually ask respected experts for comments on the situation, and these comments might serve as handy sources of information or data for your work. Here, we have gathered some simple yet relevant topics. Hopefully, they will give you some insights you could use for your outstanding foreign policy essay.

• Foreign policy and the role of media and propaganda in it.
• Should underdeveloped and developing countries rely solely on foreign direct investments to develop their infrastructure?
• Why does the United Nations Organization fail to manage peace in the world?
• Will the idea of global democracy be ever possible to implement?
• How can terrorism spoil the international relations between two states sharing boundaries?
• Has the Cold War ever stopped?
• How does the age of globalization influence foreign policy of developing and developed countries?
• How do cultural norms affect foreign policy in different countries?
• Is the influence of non-state actors on the global arena changing?
• What are the key elements in foreign economic policies that impact the citizen of the state?

Most Popular US Foreign Policy Topics for a Research Paper in 2020

USA’s conduct of foreign policy proves that the country addresses the dual realities of modern opportunities and threats in a world that becomes much more interdependent and where technology surpasses the traditional understanding of security and borders. In your research paper, don’t try to cover every possible aspect of US relations with other countries. Focus on a single issue, event, state or theory and present it as detailed as you can. Feel free to check our list of American foreign policy research paper topics that will work great for your academic writing.

• Should America remain a member of the United Nations?
• The US in the global arena: shift from unipolar to multipolar world.
• Role of America’s foreign policy in promoting sustainable development.
• Does US foreign policy need radical changes?
• United States foreign policy in the Middle East.

Argumentative Canadian Foreign Policy Essay Topics

Current Canadian foreign policy has been primarily shaped by close dependence and integration with the United States. However, global trends and events, as well as the Trump administration’s confrontational protectionism, have disrupted the country’s assumptions and position. Therefore, if Canada needs a policy review can become a compelling topic for your research paper. Below you will find some other controversial ideas for study worth thinking about.

• Is Canadian foreign policy aligned with the interests of the country?
• Should Canada change the amount of its foreign aid spending?
• What are the prospects for Canada-USA relations?
• Does Canada need to rethink its foreign policy towards China?
• What is Canada’s position on the US President Donald Trump’s impeachment?

Still struggling to pick up a foreign policy topic or need any assistance with writing a top-notch paper? With our support, you will be able to submit a high-quality project of any kind that will definitely impress your professor. As arguably the best research paper service on the market, we will readily offer some exceptional ideas or even complete the task in accordance with all your guidelines. Don’t stress yourself - trust us and make the order today!

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