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Us Foreign Policy Essay

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The United States’ foreign policy is formed by a variety of factors, varying from standard operating procedures, the power dynamic in the President’s administration, as well as the organizational set up of how the United States responds to threats. This can be seen on large scale events such as the invasion of Iraq or Afghanistan, however it can also be seen in smaller foreign policy events, such as the deployment of troops to fight against Joseph Kony in Uganda. First it is crucial that we take the United States’ involvement in Uganda and place it in the framework of the history of US foreign policy. Traditionally, the major point for the United States in terms of foreign policy was to maintain and expand its hegemony. The goal to spread …show more content…

The position of the White House in foreign policy has shifted throughout the years. The creation of the National Security Council Advisor, has greatly shifted the way foreign policy is conducted in the United States. The creation of the NSC Advisor resulted in foreign policy decisions being made from the White House, as the president becomes privy to constant up to date information on the threats and interests of the United States. This can be seen historically with Henry Kissinger who, “employed a secret back channel with the Soviet ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Dobrynin, and negotiated through it many of the key arms control agreements. Kissinger went on the first trip by a US official to China since 1949…” (Ziv 2014:114). Even though the NSC Advisor’s role has constantly changed based on the personality and power dynamic of the president, there is no doubt that the institution of the Presidency has taken more of a role on foreign policy than the State Department. Furthermore, we can see the increasing role of the Presidency through the War Powers Act of 1973, which provided the president with the capacity to place troops anywhere in the world for 60 days and an additional 30-day extension by explaining the need to do so to congress. Through this the Presidency gained significantly more power to influence foreign policy, and marginalized the role of the State

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