American Foreign Policy: Examining the Facts(Contemporary Debates)

Gives readers the resources to explore and understand the wide range of factors that shape American foreign policy, as well as a fact-based approach to examining partisan debates about national security priorities, economic prosperity, capitalism, and human rights. How much foreign aid does the United States give foreign countries? How many military bases do US forces have around the world, and for what reasons? Why are US attitudes about the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) so important to economic and political stability in Europe? Where do America's political parties stand on issues of free trade, counterterrorism, human rights, economic exploitation, and international cooperation on environmental issues such as climate change? How have US relations with China and Russia changed over the last half century? This fact-checking resource answers all these questions and more, drawing on essential primary sources, authoritative government studies and reports, and top experts in the field. Rather than a specific ideological approach to the topic, this book presents the facts pertaining to the most consequential issues in American foreign policy and international relations today.

Table of Contents:
American Foreign Policy 1: The United States and the World Q1. Is it true that the United States contributes more to NATO than any other single nation? Q2. Does membership in the United Nations enhance American foreign policy? Q3. Does the United States maintain military bases all over the world? Q4. Does collective security work? Q5. Does the United States support or have alliances with non-democratic states? 2: Foreign Policy Concepts Q6. Is the Thucydides Trap real? Q7. Do the concepts of power vacuum and balance of power still drive foreign policy? Q8. When is soft power most frequently used to address foreign policy challenges? Q9. When is hard power most frequently used to address foreign policy challenges? Q10. What are the central theories for international relations? 3: Foreign Policy Motives Q11. Does the United States foreign policy include preemptive warfare? Q12. What is just war theory and how does it apply to American foreign policy? Q13. Is American foreign policy primarily concerned with national security? Q14. Does the United States give foreign aid to other countries? Q15. Does American foreign policy involve nation building? 4: Foreign Policy in History Q16. Has the United States been mostly an isolationist country? Q17. Did American foreign policy change dramatically after 9/11? Q18. What was the Bush Doctrine, and did it achieve its objectives? Q19. What was the Obama Doctrine, and did it achieve its objectives? Q20. Was America’s Cold War Containment Policy successful? 5: Foreign Policy in a Democratic Society Q21. Does modern day news media influence American foreign policy? Q22. Does public opinion play a role in America’s foreign policy? Q23. Does the American president have greater authority in foreign policy than in domestic policy? Current and Future Issues in American Foreign Policy Q24. Is China a threat to the United States? Q25. Is Russia a threat to the United States? Q26. What factors have shaped U.S. involvement in Africa’s wars? Other Factors in American Foreign Policy Q27. Does concern for human rights drive American foreign policy? Q28. Do environmental factors like climate change play a role in foreign policy? Q29. Does farming and agriculture have an impact on foreign policy? Q30. What role does economics play in foreign policy?

About the Author :
Paul Frazier is Professor of History at Gateway Community and Technical College, Kentucky, USA.