Purpose
The United States is involved in a system of international relations in which sovereign nations compete to achieve and maintain strategic positions in world affairs. The challenges facing the United States and its citizens in world affairs are complex and difficult. They will continue to be so.
This lesson highlights some aspects of Americans' participation in the international arena. When you have completed the lesson, you should be able to identify the constitutional responsibilities of the three branches of the national government in shaping the involvement of the United States in world affairs. You should be able to describe globalization and to identify some of the challenges that globalization poses for citizenship and participation in world affairs. Finally, you should be able to evaluate, take, and defend positions on issues involving globalization and improving the image of the United States abroad.
This lesson highlights some aspects of Americans' participation in the international arena. When you have completed the lesson, you should be able to identify the constitutional responsibilities of the three branches of the national government in shaping the involvement of the United States in world affairs. You should be able to describe globalization and to identify some of the challenges that globalization poses for citizenship and participation in world affairs. Finally, you should be able to evaluate, take, and defend positions on issues involving globalization and improving the image of the United States abroad.
Terms
collective security
A system formed to maintain peace among nations in which participant members agree that a military attack on one is an attack on all and will result in a united response by all members.
globalization
The process of increasing interconnectedness and closer integration of the world's markets and businesses as a result of advances in transportation, communications, and information technologies. Such advances promote the flow of goods and services, ideas, capital, and people across borders.
international law
Rules, usually the result of treaties but also from custom, that regulate how countries are to behave toward one another. International law differs from municipal, or domestic law, in that, in many cases, there is no enforcement mechanism and no universal authoritative interpretation. The rulings of international tribunals are binding on states that have agreed to adhere to tribunal findings, but such rulings are not binding on others.
isolationism
The foreign policy of a nation that wishes to be inward–looking rather than involved with other countries. Historically, some cases of isolationism have combined a noninterventionist military policy with a protectionist economic policy.
letter of marque and reprisal
A grant of authority from Congress to private citizens, not the president, to expressly authorize seizure and forfeiture of goods by such citizens in the context of undeclared hostilities with another country or countries.Without such authorization, citizens seizing such goods would be pirates in the eyes of international law.
multinational corporation
An enterprise that operates in at least two countries.
treaty
An agreement under international law between states or international organizations.
United Nations
An international organization created in 1945 to maintain peace through the collective security of its members.
A system formed to maintain peace among nations in which participant members agree that a military attack on one is an attack on all and will result in a united response by all members.
globalization
The process of increasing interconnectedness and closer integration of the world's markets and businesses as a result of advances in transportation, communications, and information technologies. Such advances promote the flow of goods and services, ideas, capital, and people across borders.
international law
Rules, usually the result of treaties but also from custom, that regulate how countries are to behave toward one another. International law differs from municipal, or domestic law, in that, in many cases, there is no enforcement mechanism and no universal authoritative interpretation. The rulings of international tribunals are binding on states that have agreed to adhere to tribunal findings, but such rulings are not binding on others.
isolationism
The foreign policy of a nation that wishes to be inward–looking rather than involved with other countries. Historically, some cases of isolationism have combined a noninterventionist military policy with a protectionist economic policy.
letter of marque and reprisal
A grant of authority from Congress to private citizens, not the president, to expressly authorize seizure and forfeiture of goods by such citizens in the context of undeclared hostilities with another country or countries.Without such authorization, citizens seizing such goods would be pirates in the eyes of international law.
multinational corporation
An enterprise that operates in at least two countries.
treaty
An agreement under international law between states or international organizations.
United Nations
An international organization created in 1945 to maintain peace through the collective security of its members.
Primary Sources
The Prince by Machiavelli
The Prince is a political treatise by the Italian public servant and political theorist Niccolo Machiavelli. It was originally written in 1513, but not published until 1532, five years after Machiavelli's death. The Prince was one of the first works of modern philosophy, in which pragmatic ends, opposed to teleological concepts, are the purpose.
Atlantic Charter, 1941
The Atlantic Charter was the blueprint for the world after World War II, and is the foundation for many of the international treaties and organizations that currently shape the world.
Debate between Justices Scalia and Breyer, 2005
The 2005 debate between Justices Antonin Scalia and Stephen Breyer largely centered around the examination of foreign case law in interpreting U.S. cases.
Dentente with the USSR 1969-1980
Dentente with the USSR policy from 1969-1980.
Federalist No. 43
Federalist No. 43, written by James Madison and titled, ""The Same Subject Continued: The Powers Conferred by the Constitution Further Considered," continues Federalist No. 42 on ratification.
Hamilton's response to Jefferson's message to Congress, Dec. 17, 1801
Hamilton's response to Jefferson's message to Congress on Dec. 17, 1801 in which he criticizes the requirement of Congressional approval to declare war.
History of the Peloponnesian War
The History of the Peloponnesian War, by Greek historian Thucydides in 431 BCE.
Jefferson's Message to Congress, Nov. 8, 1804
Jefferson's message to Congress informing them that his authority was limited because of lack of a declaration of war.
Marshall Plan, 1947
The Marshall Plan, officially the European Recovery Program, was the U.S. policy of granting large amounts of aid to western European countries following World War II.
Monroe Doctrine, 1823
The Monroe Doctrine was a U.S. policy introduced on December 2, 1823, which said that further efforts by European governments to colonize land or interfere with states in the Americas would be viewed by the United States as acts of aggression requiring U.S. intervention. In return, the United States would not interfere with existing European colonies nor in the internal concerns of European countries.
The Truman Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine is a set of principles of U.S. inland policy created on March 12, 1947 by President Truman. In his speech to Congress, Truman declared that the United States, as "leader of the free world," must support democracy worldwide and fight against communism.
The Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, 1969
The Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties standardizes conventional understandings of the making and enforcement of treaties between nations.
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme law of the United States. It is the foundation and source of the legal authority underlying the existence of the United States of America and the federal government of the United States.
The Prince is a political treatise by the Italian public servant and political theorist Niccolo Machiavelli. It was originally written in 1513, but not published until 1532, five years after Machiavelli's death. The Prince was one of the first works of modern philosophy, in which pragmatic ends, opposed to teleological concepts, are the purpose.
Atlantic Charter, 1941
The Atlantic Charter was the blueprint for the world after World War II, and is the foundation for many of the international treaties and organizations that currently shape the world.
Debate between Justices Scalia and Breyer, 2005
The 2005 debate between Justices Antonin Scalia and Stephen Breyer largely centered around the examination of foreign case law in interpreting U.S. cases.
Dentente with the USSR 1969-1980
Dentente with the USSR policy from 1969-1980.
Federalist No. 43
Federalist No. 43, written by James Madison and titled, ""The Same Subject Continued: The Powers Conferred by the Constitution Further Considered," continues Federalist No. 42 on ratification.
Hamilton's response to Jefferson's message to Congress, Dec. 17, 1801
Hamilton's response to Jefferson's message to Congress on Dec. 17, 1801 in which he criticizes the requirement of Congressional approval to declare war.
History of the Peloponnesian War
The History of the Peloponnesian War, by Greek historian Thucydides in 431 BCE.
Jefferson's Message to Congress, Nov. 8, 1804
Jefferson's message to Congress informing them that his authority was limited because of lack of a declaration of war.
Marshall Plan, 1947
The Marshall Plan, officially the European Recovery Program, was the U.S. policy of granting large amounts of aid to western European countries following World War II.
Monroe Doctrine, 1823
The Monroe Doctrine was a U.S. policy introduced on December 2, 1823, which said that further efforts by European governments to colonize land or interfere with states in the Americas would be viewed by the United States as acts of aggression requiring U.S. intervention. In return, the United States would not interfere with existing European colonies nor in the internal concerns of European countries.
The Truman Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine is a set of principles of U.S. inland policy created on March 12, 1947 by President Truman. In his speech to Congress, Truman declared that the United States, as "leader of the free world," must support democracy worldwide and fight against communism.
The Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, 1969
The Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties standardizes conventional understandings of the making and enforcement of treaties between nations.
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme law of the United States. It is the foundation and source of the legal authority underlying the existence of the United States of America and the federal government of the United States.
Secondary Sources
When Did Democrats Become America’s Free Trade Believers?
United State's influence on political ideas and trade
In diplomacy, history is ever-present
The ongoing disagreements between Tokyo, Beijing and Seoul over the legacy of the 1930s and 1940s complicate Washington's "pivot to Asia." At times, the U.S. is placed in the awkward position of refereeing relations between two allies -- South Korea and Japan -- while trying to accommodate the rise of China both economically and strategically.
The U.S. Role in World Affairs
In today's world, what should America's role be? Sounds like a great question right? Go to the site for more.
United State's influence on political ideas and trade
In diplomacy, history is ever-present
The ongoing disagreements between Tokyo, Beijing and Seoul over the legacy of the 1930s and 1940s complicate Washington's "pivot to Asia." At times, the U.S. is placed in the awkward position of refereeing relations between two allies -- South Korea and Japan -- while trying to accommodate the rise of China both economically and strategically.
The U.S. Role in World Affairs
In today's world, what should America's role be? Sounds like a great question right? Go to the site for more.