Unit 8 Foreign Policy Tools of Foreign Policy

Unit #8 Foreign Policy Tools of Foreign Policy

Seven Tools of Foreign Policy • #1 Defense • The American military is the means by which we defend ourselves against aggression—an attack or threat of attack by another country. • A key part of US foreign policy has been deterrence—keeping a strong defense to discourage aggression by other nations.

#2 Alliances • Military alliance--NATO—North Atlantic Treaty Organization • Political alliance—OAS—Organization of American States • Economic alliance—OECD—Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

#3 Diplomacy • Diplomacy is the relations and communications carried out between countries. • Usually carried out by members of the Department of State. Sometimes, however, there is a summit meeting—a meeting at which the President talks about important issues with heads of other governments.

#4 Foreign Aid • Foreign Aid—a program of giving military and economic help to other countries • Has two purposes: 1) establish friendly relations with developing nations 2) help developing nations emerge as eventual economic partners.

#5 Trade Measures • Trade measures—the terms under which the US trades with other countries. • Quota—how much of a foreign product can be sold in the US • Tariff—a tax on foreign products sold in the US • 2 Goals— 1) get other countries to buy American goods and 2)get our trading partners to support us in other foreign-policy goals

#6 Sanctions • Sanctions—measures to stop or limit trade with another nation in order to change its behavior

#7 Intelligence • Intelligence—information about another country and what its government plans to do • CIA—Central Intelligence Agency—focuses mostly on countries it thinks might be unfriendly and tries to learn what the governments of those countries intend to do. • DHS—Department of Homeland Security—receives and analyzes terrorismrelated reports from the CIA, FBI, NSA and other agencies