After reading this chapter, you should be able to:
Understand why presidents find it difficult to mobilize the nation until a growing problem evolves into a full-blown crisis such as 9/11 occurs.
Discuss how voters, interest groups, and Congress can all hold presidents accountable regarding their foreign policy decisions.
Understand the relationship between the president and Congress over the power to wage war. Know why Congress passed the War Powers Resolution and how presidents have responded to it, include how George W. Bush used it to his advantage following 9/11.
Explain the differences between treaties and executive agreements.
Describe U.S. foreign policy during the Cold War.
Describe the roles and duties of key foreign policy institutions, including the Departments of Defense and State, the CIA, and the National Security Council.
Define and explain the implications of idealism and realism in contemporary American foreign policy and how they relate to the concept of nation building. Know George W. Bush's position regarding nation building.
Explain American attitudes about the United Nations.
Explain the origins of human rights question involving contemporary China and Russia.
Understand the implications of new alliances in
world trade, especially NAFTA and the WTO.
