Brief History of Policy in Chronological Order

• For most of its history, the United States has followed a foreign policy of isolationism (i.e. refusal to ratify League of Nations) during WWI.

• The containment doctrine called for the United States to isolate the Soviet Union and contain its advances and resist its encroachments. 

• Brinkmanship was to use nuclear weapons in order to deter other nations (When the United States and the Soviet Union were on the brink of war).

• McCarthyism assumed that international communism was conspiratorial, insidious, bent on world domination, and infiltrating American government and cultural institutions.

• Defense Expenditures grow as a result of arms race with Russia. • Détente, supported by Richard Nixon, sought a relaxation of tensions

between the superpowers.• 1992 President Bush signed the North American Free Trade Agreement

with Canada and Mexico to eventually eliminate most tariffs among North American countries.

Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Policymaking actions

• Acts such as the Goldwater-Nichols Act have often acted to rework some of the most basic parts of the national security system. For example, this act helped remove the problems of interservice rivalry.

• Executive decisions such as the Bush doctrine of preemptive war and Obama’s new view towards terrorism which aims to replace the concept of “Islamic Radicalism” with “terrorism” in general, also help shape the National Security concept.

• The judiciary must ultimately be the one who decides whether a “war without end” must end or whether the increasingly advanced technologies to, for example, tap into the wires of homes must be used. As always, the constitutionality of such decisions must be determined.

Goldwater and Nichols co-sponsor a Bill in 1986

aiming to reduce intermilitary conflict.

Bill gets passed and commissioned by Pres.

Reagan. It is used inGulf War to put NormanSchwarzkopf as head of Marine, Army, Navy,

and Air Force.

Judiciary does nothing,unless a problem or

Concern arises

Policy Example

Role of Non-Gov. Groups

• Media – as always, influence from all directions whether it be Congress, the President, or even the Judiciary

• United Nations – very active in peacekeeping in recent years• NATO – agreed to combine military forces and to treat a war against

one as a war against all. • Bipartisan Security Group – is dedicated to providing reliable

information and analysis of global security issues to Members of Congress and their staff, with an emphasis on arms control, nonproliferation, and disarmament. 

• Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation – is a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit, non-partisan research organization dedicated to enhancing international peace and security in the 21st century.

Impact of Policy on Americans

• Increase in foreign troop number

• Possible increase in foreign threat, both nuclear and conventional

• Increase in tax money to fund military ventures

• Possible tapping/privacy invasions of citizens

Current Status of Policy Decisions

• The Obama administration serves to set priorities inside the government and communicate them to Congress, the American people and the world.

• The US must revitalize its economic, moral and innovative strength if it is to continue to lead the world.

• The report is the first that Obama has prepared under a 1986 law requiring the president to present Congress with an annual strategic statement. 

Analysis and RecsThe current status of the Obama

administration is one of very positive goals and insights. Obama claims that he will try to bolster the United States in terms of military strength and reputation in that he wants to not only increase our military prowess, but also simultaneously preserve our national security and global influence.

One possible way this may be further achieved is that if the United States tries to MAYBE venture toward a LITTLE more isolationist policy as before. This seems to keep most everyone happy and maintain positive light in the global community. Also, maybe a little less money and tax dollars ought to be spent towards a “war on terror” or, as one article put it, a war on something we can’t find.

Cites

• http://wps.ablongman.com/long_edwards_government_11/0,7701,719676-,00.html

• http://www.bu.edu/law/central/jd/organizations/journals/bulr/volume86n5/documents/REINHARDTv.2.pdf

• http://www.state.gov/t/isn/135370.htm • http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/

content/article/2010/05/27/AR2010052701044.html