Current And Historical U.S. Foreign Policy Makers
By Steve Jones, About.com Guide
The President
As president, Barack Obama is the chief foreign policy maker in the United States. Obama won election to the presidency on November 4, 2008, defeating Republican John McCain, and he won re-election on November 6, 2012, beating Republican Mitt Romney. In his first term, Obama had foreign policy successes that included ending the Iraq War, renewing American interest in the Asia Pacific region, and authorizing the Navy SEAL raid that killed Osama Bin Laden.
- Obama's Foreign Policy Platform
- Foreign Policy Issues Awaiting Obama In His Second Term
- Vice President Joe Biden's Foreign Policy Strengths
- Obama In Burma
Department of State
Once Obama's rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, Hillary Clinton became Obama's secretary of state in 2009. As secretary, she directs the activities of the US State Department and American ambassadors around the globe. She is the front-person for all of Obama's foreign policies.
- Profile of Secretary Clinton
- John Kerry: Obama's Second-Term Pick For Secretary Of State
- Gary Locke, Ambassador to China
- Christopher Painter, Coordinator for Cyber Issues
- Ambassador Chris Stevens' Death
- Ambassadors Killed In The Line Of Duty
- Hillary Clinton's Role in 2012 Gaza Cease Fire
- State Department 2013 Budget
Military, Intelligence, and Security Agencies
No one can create effective foreign policy without accurate intelligence of global situations. And, while military action is always and extreme foreign policy option, America's military branches are central to foreign policy
- Chuck Hagel and John Brennan, Nominees For Defense, CIA
- Biography of Leon Panetta
- Panetta at the CIA
- Dennis Ross, Special Adviser To Obama
- Samantha Power, Key To Obama's Libyan Intervention Policy
Events And Issues
Foreign Policy ideally shapes events, but in the real world that's not always possible. Events and issues frequently force foreign policy responses.
- Obama's Cyberspace Policy
- U.S. Foreign Policy After 9/11
- U.S. Policy In The Yom Kippur War, 1973
- U.S. Chemical Weapons Diplomatic History
- Cuban Missile Crisis
United Nations
The President selects the United State's ambassador to the United Nations, where the U.S. is a permanent member of the Security Council. As such, the U.S. has great influence in U.N. decisions.
The American People
The American people have a say in U.S. foreign policy, although it may at times seem rather indirect. Whether voting into office those people who will make foreign policy or protesting unpopular policies -- such as the Vietnam War -- the public does have a voice.