American Politics Today - Essentials (3rd Ed)

THE TOOLS OF FOREIGN POLICY| 483

States, plus 10 rotating nations)—makes the most important decisions, particu-
larly those involving UN military missions. The UN General Assembly, in which
each nation has one vote, debates and votes on other concerns.

THE TOOLS OF FOREIGN POLICY

The tools or methods used to implement American foreign policy include, most
obviously, the use of military force but also changes in trade policy or the provi-
sion of foreig n or mi lita r y a id. A lt hough t hese strateg ies di ff er in terms of cost, and
although some, such as military force, seem morally questionable to many Ameri-
cans, all nations use these strategies in the pursuit of desired policy outcomes.

MILITARY FORCE

Military force is a fundamental tool of foreign policy. America’s military forces
serve throughout the world as a deterrent to confl ict, and military exercises by
U.S. troops, aircraft, and ships serve to remind potential adversaries of Amer-
ica’s military power. For example, in early 2012 Iran threatened to close the
Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage connecting the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of
Oman that tankers carrying Middle Eastern oil exports must transit; the United
States responded by sending a carrier battle group to the strait to conduct fl ight
operations—and to demonstrate that America was ready to keep the passage open
by using force if necessary.^42
The United States has also fought wars and lesser confl icts to further its foreign
policy goals. Some are all-out military operations, such as the invasion of Iraq. More
commonly, these deployments are short-lived operations ranging from the evacu-
ation of American civilians from areas of unrest to the delivery of humanitarian

EXAMINE THE WAYS

AMERICAN FOREIGN

POLICY IS IMPLEMENTED

AS AMERICAN OPERATIONS IN IRAQ

began to wind down in 2009 and

2010, additional forces were sent

to Afghanistan in the hopes that

the “surge” tactic used to good

effect in Iraq would be similarly

successful in Afghanistan. Here, a

group of U.S. Marines participating

in the surge listens to a briefi ng at

Camp Dwyer in Helmand Province,

Afghanistan.