FINAL EXAM

Final Exam

Final Exam

Question - 1

The United States has clearly defined foreign policy objectives and goals. While some groups claim that the United States acts as an isolationist body, the government works to improve the international community through negotiation and cooperation. Sometimes varying perspectives and values cause the United States to act in a unilateral manner, but the United States mostly looks to act in conjunction with the desires of other countries. As the largest superpower, the United States has been given the responsibility of leading the global community through its actions and words. According to Secretary of State, Colin Powell, "the American way in the world is to promote freedom, democracy, free trade and development. It is to seek security for people who have already suffered too much. It is to inspire and be inspired by other nations to work together toward a peaceful and prosperous future" (www.state.gov). Following this, the United States has established its top priorities in foreign policy. The U.S. Department of State claims that these include promoting American internationalism, focusing heavily on National Security, and curbing the evolving threat of Weapons of Mass Destruction.

America also plays a large role in the global economy. As technology and communications have improved, the United States has become even more industrialized and economically advanced. With a GDP of over 10.4 trillion dollars, the United States is a powerhouse in the international market. The government looks to encourage international trade by opening markets and freeing capital, goods, and services for all nations. The United States benefits when other countries prosper, so it must pursue positive economic policies in order to encourage others to prosper. The decision of who to interact with economically has become even larger as a result of September 11, 2001. While the government has had restrictions and embargoes on certain governments in the past, the problem has become even more severe in terms of terrorist financing. This is a large focus in American foreign policy, as the ever-present problem of national security has come to the forefront of American consciousness. The issue of developing countries is also relevant, as the government has to decide how much money to allocate to help these struggling countries each year.

National security has become a large focus for President Bush and Congress, as well as the international community. Following the tragic events on 9/11/01, the importance of allies and partners became even more important to the United States. While the United States had not looked to act unilaterally in the past, multilateralism became crucial in order to determine how to thwart terrorism in the most effective way. The United States and its allies have successfully rid Afghanistan of the Taliban and denied Al-Qaida a safe harbor, as well as taken over Saddam Hussein's terrible reign in Iraq. Following American internationalism, the United States and its allies have encouraged democracy and democratic ideals in these countries, as it has been proven that democratic systems provide the most security and human rights for their ...