the final paper

US Foreign Policy Decisions

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US Foreign Policy Decisions

Introduction

The United States foreign policy affects not only local residents but people in different parts of the world that could in one way or another benefit from economic and social interventions. Due to the fact that involvement in international concerns costs a great deal, the US had to carefully select issues it intends to jointly address with other nations. At times, this is done at the expense of local development and place the country at risk of getting involved in military conflicts with other countries. This paper analyzes the impact of the United States foreign policy decisions on the country.

Strategies the US can adopt in an Increasingly Turbulent World

The position of the United States on major international issues is of key importance in determining the impact that these issues will have both on the US and in other countries. According to Stares (2017), the role of the United States as the global social, political and economic leader places it is a difficult spot most of the time. Instead of only pursuing domestic growtyh., the US is at times drawn into costly international engagements needed to create peace and stability in different parts of the world.

To ensure there is an increase in local growth and development however in a time that is characterized by a lot of turbulence, the US must be selective when choosing international engagement it can commit resources to. This will enable the country to address local issues that mean more to local residents, instead of committing substantial resources to address cases of turbulence in other parts of the world.

Conflicts between US National Interests and International Concerns

According to the Council on Foreign Relations (2018), to some extent, US national interests are in conflict with international concerns. As a global superpower, the US is usually involved in most issues of global concern, including global conflicts and trade and other economic issues. The US is usually actively involved in aiding nations dealing with instability to deal with ongoing political challenges and gain stability. In addition, the US also actively tackles existing social issues in different parts of the world, including poverty and education. Although these initiatives are usually in the best interests of the countries receiving US help, they usually cost a great deal, which has to be funded by the local taxpayers. The country, as a result, has to make a trade-off in certain areas, when deciding whether to commit resources to local issues or international ones. According to Simmons (2017), the trade-off is however not substantial, as the total financial commitment by the US to international issues does not form a significant portion of the national budget.

Areas that should be prioritized by the US

Although the US has played a significant role in international affairs in the past and still continues to do so even today, many American feel that the US should prioritize the local domestic policy and focus less on the foreign policy (Lohaus, 2016). Despite major development in key areas of the local economy, the US still lags behind in several areas, with health and the cost of education constantly being cited as some of the key challenges that most people in the country have to deal with. Should the US select t commit substantial resources to these areas, major domestic developments can be recorded. This can be achieved while still maintaining the country’s current foreign policy, with the only difference being less involvement in international issues in comparison to the level of commitment in place today. According to Simmons (2017), the US can, however, focus on both the foreign and domestic issues with equal priorities, as most of the local issues being faced in the country cannot be addressed using resources that may be saved by ignoring international concerns.

The Level of US Involvement in International Affairs

Despite the fact that more and more Americans believe the country should focus less on international affairs and instead dedicate all its resources to domestic affairs, the US is still actively involved in most international affairs and retains its long-standing foreign policy (Miller, 2014). The US is, however, facing a number of critical local issues that demand the active involvement of the state is they are to be solved in the long term. Health and education are commonly cited as critical issues that the state will have to deal with if long-term solutions are to be found. Due to the fact that the financial commitment by the US in international concerns is not significant, however, there is no need for a reduction in the level of involvement in international issues. By pursuing international affairs aggressively, the US has been instrumental in creating stability in different parts of the world, without making significant local sacrifices. The US can therefore still focus on local issues and at the same time maintain a high level of involvement in international issues.

Conclusion

As a global superpower, economic and social leader, the US should actively be engaged in international affairs. An analysis of the total spending dedicated to international engagement in the country has shown that the US had dedicated an insignificant amount of resources in international concerns, meaning the failure to be involved in international issues will not have significant domestic consequences. By engaging in international affairs, on the other hand, the US stands to make a positive impact in the lives of millions of people in different parts of the world.

References

Council on Foreign Relations. (2018). Excerpt: The Expanding Role of State and Local Governments in U.S. Foreign Affairs. Retrieved from Council on Foreign Relations: https://www.cfr.org/excerpt-expanding-role-state-and-local-governments-us-foreign-affairs#chapter-title-0-3

Lohaus, P. (2016). Why Foreign Policy Should be a Millennial Priority. Retrieved from The Catalyst: https://www.bushcenter.org/catalyst/next-generation/lohaus-foreign-policy.html

Miller, J. (2014). How do Americans feel about U.S. involvement in foreign crises? Retrieved from CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-do-americans-feel-about-u-s-involvement-in-foreign-crises/

Simmons, A. (2017). U.S. foreign aid: A waste of money or a boost to world stability? Here are the facts. Retrieved from LA Times: http://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-global-aid-true-false-20170501-htmlstory.html

Stares, P. B. (2017). U.S. Needs a Preventive Strategy to Avoid Costly Conflicts and Preserve America’s Global Standing. Retrieved from Council on Foreign Relations: https://www.cfr.org/news-releases/us-needs-preventive-strategy-avoid-costly-conflicts-and-preserve-americas-global