partly because the Middle East is an important source of the world’s oil
and partly because Israel is an ally.
2. Provide an example of how soft power has been used in the Middle
East, such as through foreign aid given to countries like Israel and Egypt
that are important to national security or through diplomacy like the
agreement called “The Road Map to Peace” that was signed by the United
States, Israel, and most Arab nations.
3. Explain that Iran has complicated the situation in recent years with its
development of weapons of mass destruction, such as biological weapons
that spread disease or poisons, although its development of nuclear
weapons has become the primary concern.
4. Discuss how the United States has used both economic sanctions and
public diplomacy, through which it has tried to convince the people of Iran
that its leader is moving the nation toward war, but as of 2014 neither
approach had been very successful.
Topic: The Foreign Policy and Defense Agenda; Foreign Policy and Defense
Options
Learning Objective: LO 18.2: Assess the status of each of the issues that
currently dominate the foreign policy and defense agenda; LO 18.4: Evaluate the
options for achieving foreign policy and defense goals.
Page Reference: 534, 536 – 537, 546, 548
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
103. Discuss the factors that led to the war in Iraq. How successful was the United
States in this conflict?
1. Discuss how the war in Iraq was part of a broader fight against
terrorism.
2. Explain how the war in Iraq was based on the Bush administration’s
claim that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction.
3. Analyze how successful this war was. Students might note that the war
lasted longer than expected and was not always popular, but that it also
had considerable successes, such as the elimination of Saddam Hussein.
Topic: Introduction
Learning Objective: Introduction
Page Reference: 528, 530
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
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104. How have changes to the world economy affected the United States’ approach to
foreign policy with China?
1. Describe the increasingly global nature of the world economy.
2. Discuss the magnitude of the Chinese economy and the opportunities
and challenges it poses for the United States.
3. Observe how U.S. foreign policy toward China has changed from
economic isolation to concerns about trade policy.
Topic: The Foreign Policy and Defense Agenda
Learning Objective: LO 18.2: Assess the status of each of the issues that
currently dominate the foreign policy and defense agenda.
Page Reference: 537
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
105. Compare and contrast hard power and soft power. Give an example of each.
1. Compare hard and soft power, noting that both are foreign policy
approaches used to influence other nations.
2. Contrast hard power with soft power, nothing that hard power relies on
a country’s strength to resolve conflict, while soft power relies on
diplomacy and negotiation to resolve conflict.
3. Provide an example of hard power, such as military force or economic
sanctions.
4. Provide an example of soft power, such as conventional diplomacy,
public diplomacy, or foreign aid.
Topic: Understanding Foreign Policy and Defense; Foreign Policy and Defense
Options
Learning Objective: LO 18.1: Analyze the questions and responses that shape
approaches to U.S. foreign policy and defense; LO 18.4: Evaluate the options for
achieving foreign policy and defense goals.
Page Reference: 534; 545 – 549
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Essay Questions
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106. Explain trends in diversity within the U.S. military. Which of the four armed
services have seen the greatest gains in representation of women and minorities?
Why have the U.S. military efforts to recruit more minorities and women been
more successful with minorities than with women? Some have suggested that the
role of women in the military should be expanded. How do they want to see the
role of women expanded? Present the arguments for and against this suggestion.
1. Explain that there is substantive variation in diversity across the armed
forces. Note that the air force and navy have the greatest gains in female
recruits and that the navy and army have seen the greatest gains for
minority recruits.
2. Explain that recruitment efforts have been more successful with
minorities for three reasons: (1) there have been sexual harassment
scandals in the armed services, and few women have advanced to senior
posts over the decades; (2) the military has worked harder on recruiting
minorities and has had a strong role model in Colin Powell; and (3) the
military has a long history of recruiting high school graduates who are not
college bound, many of whom are minorities.
3. Identify that women in the military have been allowed to fly aircraft to
and from airfields, guard convoys and prisoners of war, and rescue
wounded soldiers, but they have been excluded from combat positions,
which hinders their training for the most senior positions.
4. Note that although the military is redesigning assignments to ensure that
women have equal opportunity to participate in noncombat operations,
women are still allowed to serve only in support units.
5. Mention that the Department of Defense did announce in 2012 that
women will be allowed to take more dangerous jobs closer to the
battlefield, which has caused strong concern from some quarters.
6. Detail that experts are asking whether women should be given the order
to engage in combat and that the subject is a source of much debate.
7. Discuss some of the reasons why opponents believe women should not
be allowed into combat, which include the fact that men are physically
stronger, the concern about personal relationships between men and
women being a distraction in battle, the possibility of pregnancy at time of
combat, and the risk of discrimination and sexual harassment because
combat units are harder to police.
8. Outline the reasons for believing women should be allowed to
participate in combat, which include the fact that modern combat uses
high technology weapons and requires tight coordination of various units,
which can blur the line between combat and support units; the argument
that high technology warfare requires less physical strength than
conventional warfare; and the point that recent studies suggest women are
already subject to discrimination and harassment in the military.
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Topic: The Foreign Policy and Defense Bureaucracy; Foreign Policy and Defense
Options
Learning Objective: LO 18.3: Outline the structure of the foreign policy and
defense bureaucracy; LO 18.4: Evaluate the options for achieving foreign policy
and defense goals.
Page Reference: 544, 549
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
107. What is diplomacy? Under what circumstances is the president’s foreign policy
most likely to rely on diplomacy? Under what circumstances is the president most
likely to rely on military action instead of diplomacy? Give an example of when
the United States has relied on diplomacy and when it has relied on military
action. Given the uncertain state of the world because of terrorism and weapons of
mass destruction, will U.S. foreign policy in the future be more likely to focus on
diplomacy or military action?
1. Define diplomacy as an effort to achieve a desired policy outcome
through negotiations with other countries.
2. Outline when the president will rely on diplomacy to conduct foreign
policy, such as when dealing with countries that are U.S. allies, when
dealing with issues that do not need to be resolved quickly, or when
avoiding a military confrontation that is in the long-term best interest of
the United States.
3. Identify when the president will rely on military action, such as when
there is a direct and immediate threat to the United States, when dealing
with a rogue leader who is not interested in diplomacy, or when a military
strike can be effective without jeopardizing long-term U.S. interests.
4. Provide an example of the U.S. use of diplomacy, such as “The Road
Map to Peace” in the Middle East or agreements with Russia to reduce
nuclear arms.
5. Provide an example of the U.S. use of direct military action, such as the
use of military force in Libya or the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
6. Discuss how military might alone is not sufficient to deal with problems
like terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, but diplomacy also does
not always work if nations are unwilling to negotiate, and so U.S. foreign
policy in the future will most likely incorporate both, starting with
diplomacy and moving to military action when all diplomatic efforts fail.
Topic: Foreign Policy and Defense Options
Learning Objective: LO 18.4: Evaluate the options for achieving foreign policy
and defense goals.
Page Reference: 544 – 546, 548
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
665
Difficulty Level: Difficult
108. The president has many executive branch advisers to assist with foreign and
defense policy. To what extent is the president’s foreign policy strength related to
this large cadre of advisers? In what situations would the president be most likely
to consult with each of the following: the vice president, the secretary of state, the
secretary of defense, the secretary of homeland security, the director of National
Intelligence, the National Security Council, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff?
1. Explain how the president’s strength comes in large part from the
president’s large cadre of advisers. With so many advisers, the president
has much information and expertise available at all times of the day or
night.
2. Provide a situation in which the president might consult with the vice
president, such as when the president needs a loyal confidant who can help
address the political implications of a foreign policy action.
3. Provide a situation in which the president might consult with the
secretary of state, such as when the president wants to know the status of
diplomatic negotiations.
4. Provide a situation in which the president might consult with the
secretary of defense, such as when the president wants military advice
from the perspective of a civilian official.
5. Provide a situation in which the president might consult with the
secretary of homeland security, such as when the president is weighing
how a foreign policy might affect the safety and security of the United
States.
6. Provide a situation in which the president might consult with the
director of National Intelligence, such as when the president needs
intelligence about the military or nuclear capabilities of a foreign
government.
7. Provide a situation in which the president might consult with the
National Security Council, such as when there is a rapidly developing
foreign policy crisis that needs immediate attention.
8. Provide a situation in which the president might consult with the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, such as when the president needs to fully understand the
different capabilities of the different service branches of the U.S. military.
Topic: The Foreign Policy and Defense Bureaucracy
Learning Objective: LO 18.3: Outline the structure of the foreign policy and
defense bureaucracy.
Page Reference: 539 – 543
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Difficult
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109. What are the president’s foreign policy powers? Who is the president’s principal
foreign policy adviser and why? What are Congress’s foreign policy powers? Is
the existing balance of power between Congress and the president along with his
advisers appropriate, or would the United States be better off if one branch’s
powers were to increase and the other branch’s powers decrease? Provide a
justification for your answer.
1. List the president’s foreign policy powers, including command over the
armed forces, the nomination of U.S. diplomats and the recognition of
foreign countries, the negotiation and signature of treaties, and the
selection of a cadre of executive branch advisers.
2. Identify the secretary of state as the president’s principal foreign policy
adviser, since that is the person who delegates the day-to-day
responsibilities for running the Department of State, which negotiates
treaties with other nations and international organizations, protects U.S.
citizens and ambassadors abroad, promotes U.S. commercial interests in
other nations, grants visas to foreign visitors, and works with the
Department of Homeland Security in national security matters.
3. Detail Congress’s foreign policy powers, including appropriation of
funds for foreign policy (or the refusal to appropriate funds), the
confirmation of ambassadorial appointments, the ratification of treaties,
and the authority to declare war and make rules that govern the armed
forces.
4. Make and justify arguments for whether the balance of the power
should remain with the president and his advisers, or whether Congress
should have increased foreign policy power. Most would argue that it is
important for the president and his advisers to be able to make quick and
decisive foreign and defense policy decisions to safeguard U.S. interests
and that Congress typically acts too slowly and is bogged down in too
much partisan debate for such situations. Some, however, would argue that
Congress should take a stronger role because it is the more democratic
branch of government and foreign policy decisions should not be
concentrated in the hands of a few individuals.
Topic: The Foreign Policy and Defense Bureaucracy
Learning Objective: LO 18.3: Outline the structure of the foreign policy and
defense bureaucracy.
Page Reference: 539 – 543
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
110. What is idealism? How is realism a critique of idealism? How can a country’s
foreign policy be driven by both realism and idealism? Give examples illustrating
how George W. Bush’s and Barack Obama’s foreign policies were driven by
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realism and idealism. Which worldview do you think is more appropriate and
why?
1. Define idealism as the worldview that believes that countries seek to
work together to address conflict and promote peace. Idealism believes
that the goal of foreign policy is to achieve common good and to promote
democracy.
2. Explain the critique of idealism offered by realists, who believe the
countries are out to further their own self-interest. This worldview
believes that countries use their foreign policy to strengthen themselves
economically, politically, and socially.
3. Explain that a country’s foreign policy can be driven by idealism in
some realms and idealism in other realms.
4. Provide an example of a George W. Bush administration foreign policy
that was driven by idealism, such as the desire to promote democracy in
the Middle East.
5. Provide an example of a George W. Bush administration foreign policy
that was driven by realism, such as using the military to remove Saddam
Hussein from power instead of using diplomacy.
6. Provide an example of a Barack Obama administration foreign policy
that was driven by idealism, such as the attempts to repair strained
relations with our allies after the Bush administration.
7. Provide an example of a Barack Obama administration foreign policy
that was driven by realism, such as using the military to kill Osama bin
Laden.
8. Argue in favor of a worldview that is more idealist or realist. Idealists
may argue that people are inherently empathetic and that everyone desires
peace. Realists may argue that people are inherently competitive and
driven by self-interest.
Topic: Understanding Foreign Policy and Defense
Learning Objective: LO 18.1: Analyze the questions and responses that shape
approaches to U.S. foreign policy and defense.
Page Reference: 531
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
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