American Politics Today - Essentials (3rd Ed)

STUDY GUIDE|^491

SUMMARY

The major actors in foreign policy are the president and
Congress, though the Supreme Court, interest groups, and
public opinion all infl uence foreign policy decisions to a
degree. The president’s advantage over Congress lies in the
ambiguity in the Constitution and the unilateral presiden-
tial power.

KEY TERMS

National Security Council (NSC) (p. 475)

civilian control (p. 476)

intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) (p. 481)

nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) (p. 481)

World Bank (p. 481)

International Monetary Fund (IMF) (p. 481)

United Nations (UN) (p. 481)

PRACTICE QUIZ QUESTIONS

6. The principal foreign policy department in the execu-
   tive branch is.
   a) the Department of Defense
   b) the Council on Foreign Relations
   c) the Department of International Relations
   d) the Department of State
   e) the Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board


7. The idea that military personnel do not formulate
   policy, but rather implement directives from civilians is
   .
   a) military deference
   b) civilian control
   c) the Geneva system

d) civilian-military alliance

e) the Bush Doctrine

8. Congress holds and ,
   which both infl uence foreign policy.
   a) the power to deploy troops; the power of the purse
   b) the power to approve treaties; the power to deploy
   troops
   c) the power to declare war; the power of the purse
   d) the power to deploy troops; the power to declare
   war
   e) the power to approve appointments; the power to
   deploy troops


9. The War Powers Resolution was designed to
   .
   a) limit the president’s war-making powers
   b) limit the Congress’s war-making powers
   c) limit the Department of Defense’s war-making
   powers
   d) limit the Pentagon’s war-making powers
   e) limit the State Department’s war-making powers

CRITICAL THINKING AND DISCUSSION

The American president has much more infl uence over for-

eign policy than members of Congress do. What are the pros

and cons of this allocation of power?

FOREIGN POLICY MAKERS

E Explain how the various branches of government shape foreign policy. Pages 475–83

S PRACTICE ONLINE

“Critical Thinking ” exercise: Political Process

Matters—The War Powers Resolution

S PRACTICE ONLINE

"Critical Thinking" exercise: Politics Is Confl ictual—

The League of Nations

CRITICAL THINKING AND DISCUSSION

Pick one of the foreign policy problems described in this
chapter. What policy choices would a realist make? What
choices would an idealist make?