The politics of foreign policy today 643The politics of foreign
policy today
The making of foreign policy, like everything else in the federal government, is a political
act—a contest involving elected officials, bureaucrats, interest groups, and other actors, all
of whom have their own goals. In this sense, there are always conflicts over what America’s
foreign policy should look like and compromise is fundamental to the making of it. This
section describes three of the major foreign policy issues facing America in the contemporary
era: trade, terrorism, and nuclear proliferation—and how all these issues raise human rights
concerns. These issues demonstrate the complexity of America’s foreign policy choices
and how these decisions are shaped both by conflicts and by political processes.
In addition, this section argues against claims about the decline of American
influence throughout the world. Although it is true that other countries such as China
and India are increasing their economic and military power and that the United States
faces many new and complex issues, it still continues to be an international power
and in many respects is the strongest nation on the globe, with enormous influence
over economic, social, and military events worldwide. How the issues described in
this section will be resolved remains in question, but there is no doubt that the foreign
policy choices of the United States will play a decisive role.Managing international trade: China
For the United States, trade is a necessity. America imports a wide range of resources
and manufactured goods from other countries, and increased trade can enhance the
economic growth of the nation overall. Many economic analyses describe trade in
terms of the theory of comparative advantage, which holds that nations export items
they can produce cheaply, in return for imports that can be produced more efficiently
elsewhere. Similarly, outsourcing jobs to foreign countries with lower labor costs
makes American companies more efficient, which raises their profits and allows them
to expand operations, which may result in new jobs.
These practices are examples of globalization: the trend toward increasing interaction
and connections among individuals, corporations, and nations (see Chapter 15).
New technologies have leveled the global playing field, allowing suppliers of goods
and services to sell their products throughout the world. Many American companies
and their employees profit from this process. Reflecting this development, the last
generation of American politics has been marked by international agreements to reduce
or eliminate tariffs among nations, the growth of international organizations such as
the WTO to regulate trade and adjudicate trade disputes, and increases in outsourcing
of manufacturing jobs and services from developed countries to developing countries.^55
The trade policy of the Trump administration, which emphasizes threats of higher tariffs
and withdrawal from trade agreements, is a sharp departure from these trends.
At the same time, even if trade deals increase economic growth in America as a
whole, opening America’s markets will hurt some individuals—those whose livelihoods
are threatened by cheaper foreign imports. For example, in many Midwestern towns,
manufacturing plants have been closed because of competition from cheaper foreign
imports. In theory, displaced workers could enter retraining programs and move
to new jobs with companies who are able to grow because of new opportunities to
export to other countries. However, these workers may not be able to find, afford, or
complete a retraining program and may not want to move to another state for a newANALYZE SEVERAL
MAJOR AREAS OF
FOREIGN POLICY AND
WHY THEY ARE OFTEN
CONTROVERSIALglobalization
The increase over the last generation
in trade, travel, and the flow of ideas
and beliefs between nations.Full_18_APT_64431_ch17_614-654.indd 643 16/11/18 11:22 AM