 Jesse Johnson

Before the Great Recession, the United States was writing blank checks for the
military to fight the wars post 9/11. It is not so easy now; the defense budget is
strict and American troops are expected to do more with less. The budget is
forced to tackle numerous issues such as “information, communications, energy
use, and bio-technology are all emerging in a period of heightened global
economic competition” (The Brookings Institution, 2017). The military is
facing more challenged today than it ever has before. The United States geo-
strategic primacy is under siege (Tiersky, 2015). Geo-strategic primacy defined
in this context is simply just America wanting to be the primary guidance
wherever they go. In a firsthand point of view, I know for certain that America
is typically always respectful to their host nation. However, because the U.S. is
big and powerful, it obtains the label of an overwhelming powerhouse.

Ronald Tiersky stated on his blog on the real clear world website that “The
primary goals of American foreign policy are to serve the national interest and
to foster international peace and security” (2015). Just like any rule or law in
the land, these policies were fabricated when America’s liberty felt threatened
or actually attacked. Additionally, I believe another security policy constraint
stems from trying to fit everybody’s agenda into the plan. However, the
President must do what himself and Congress feels is best.

The U.S. has more difficult constraints when it comes to foreign policies than
with anything else. Internationally, there is no world government. On the other
hand, America has so many treaties with other governments along with being
part of the United Nations and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, that they
must follow very strict guidelines when it comes to anything across boarders.
Furthermore, if America needs to establish foreign policy directives, it must
rely on itself (Advameg, 2018). They very rarely rely on the help of others.
Lastly, even though there is no legal authority one country is obligated to
another, America has access to the most resources and has the largest amount of
capabilities. This leads to America providing more resources to our allies
defensively and with humanitarian missions. I believe this causes America to be
spread very thin and limits the potential of our foreign policy.

Reference:

The Brookings Institution. (2017, April 14). Defense Policy. Retrieved

February 21, 2018, from https://www.brookings.edu/defense-policy/
 My comments

Tiersky, R. (2015, May 6). Being Real About the Constraints on U.S. Foreign
Policy. Retrieved February 21, 2018, from
https://www.realclearworld.com/articles/2015/05/06/being_real_about_the_con
straints_on_us_foreign_policy_111168.html

Advameg. (2018). New American Nation. Retrieved February 21, 2018, from
http://www.americanforeignrelations.com/E-N/International-Law-Constraints-
on-u-s-foreign-policy.html

My comments

The United States has immense economic power which translates into political influence across a broad
spectrum of other policy areas. The 2015 National Security Strategy declares: “The American economy is
an engine for global economic growth and a source of stability for the international system. In addition
to being a key measure of power and influence in its own right, it underwrites our military strength and
diplomatic influence. A strong economy, combined with a prominent U.S. presence in the global financial
system, creates opportunities to advance our security.” United States security policy decision-making
does not happen in a vacuum: it must reflect the dynamic domestic and international environments
existing at the time.