Learn the Basics of U.S. Foreign Policy History, Creation, and Implementation
By Steve Jones, About.com Guide
- Foreign Policy Basics
- Issues And Trends
- Foreign Policy Tools
- Presidents And Their Policies Throughout History
Foreign Policy Basics
Foreign Policy, from its issues to practitioners, is complex. Here are collected stories that aim to cut through those complexities and give you a better understanding of U.S. foreign policy.
Issues And Trends
Foreign policy is often full of "isms," such as globalism, isolationism, and multilateralism. They make up trends in foreign policy, which revolve around regional and global issues, many which have been around for decades.
Foreign Policy Tools
The United States has a large assortment of "tools" to use in its conduct of foreign policy. Here is a look at some of them.
Presidents And Their Policies Throughout History
American presidents set the direction and tone of their administrations' foreign policy. Here are some of their platforms and policy ideas.
Historical Secretaries of State
Secretaries of state are the United States' chief diplomats. Presidents can either rely on them or ignore them. Throughout American history, some secretaries have made major impact on U.S. foreign policy while others did very little.
Historical Foreign Policy Measures
Obviously, the United States has more than 235 years of foreign policy measures. Here is an ongoing look at historical US policies.
Treaties And Agreements
Since 1778 the United States has been entering into treaties and agreements with other nations. Some have been mutually beneficial, others not so much.