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The President and foreign policy (CC + WD (((What is soft power? soft…

- - - - Congressional Powers
        
        • The constitution gives power of foreign policy to both branches
        
        • Constitution gives the President power to act as commander n chief to the armed forces and to negotiate treaties
        
        • These are subject to the powers vested in congress
        
        • President’s power is checked by Congress’ to declare war and control the purse strings
        
        • However, congress hasn’t declared war since 1941and the power of the purse is questionable if troops are already deployed, like Bush in Iraq
        
        • Constitution gives power to the President by allowing appointments to the executive branch with foreign policy implications like the secretary of state, defence, homeland security, director of the CIA, chairman of the joint chief of staffs, national security advisor
        
        • President also appoints all ambassadors to nations, UN, EU, NATO
        
        • By appointing an ambassador to a country, it is recognised as legitimate
        
        • All of these appointments, with the exception of the national security advisor, needs senate ratification
        
        Setting the tone
        
        • Sets tone of foreign policy through set-piece speeches like the sate of the union,
        
        • Kennedy in his inauguration stated America would “pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to ensure the survival and success of liberty”
        
        • Set the tone for the cold war and the US in Asia
        
        • After 9/11 Bush used the state of the union to set the tone for the “axis of evil”
        
        • Perceived threats allowed the Bush Doctrine – implicating every relationship with nations and international organisations
        
        • Bush Doctrine was built on the virtue of American primacy and the right for pre-emptive war against perceived threats
        
        • 9/11 and the success of America in past wars presented the only model of success and this would be enforced, allowing a complete shift in foreign policy
        
        Obama's Soft Power
        
        • Obama stated a renewal of reliance on soft powers – “the ability to get what you want through attraction not coercion”
        
        • His administration would received diplomacy as a core instrument to foreign policy
        
        • “we will extend a hand if you unclench your fist”
        
        • The success of this is debatable:
        
        Guantanamo bay never closed
        
        Largest coalition offense was in 2010
        
        USA PATRIOT act was signed in 2012
        
        Increased use of drone attacks, 300 in Obama’s first term compared to less than 50 in Bush’s
        
        However, in 2011 the last troops were withdrawn from Iraq and in 2016 the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan was authorised
        
        Congress and Foreign Policy
        
        • Congress has the power to declare war, agree to budgets, investigate as well as the Senate’s ability to ratify appointments and treaties
        
        • These were diminished in the 1970s by an imperial president so it passed counter laws
        
        • War Powers Act, over Nixon’s veto – proved to be ineffective
        
        • Congress has been relegated to authorisation of troops abroad as in Iraq
        
        • Gene Healy – “congress now occupies a position…similar to that of a student council in University governance…there can be no doubt over where real authority presides”
        
        • Even when Democrats controlled both houses in 2007, they had little impact against Bush’s Republican administration
        
        • Russel Feingold – “Congress must use the power of the purse to end our involvement in a disastrous war”, when they did this, Bush vetoed it and they couldn’t overturn it
        
        • Congress has expertise in foreign policy committees
        
        Senate armed services committee
        
        Foreign relations committee
        
        House of representatives armed service committee
        
        Foreign affairs committee
        
        • These were used in congressional investigation into the Iraq war
        
        • Congress’ ability to change the course of direction of policy is negligible
        
        • Ford – “our fathers knew you cant have 535 commanders in chiefs and secretaries of state. It just wouldn’t work”
- - - - What is soft power?
        soft power is the form of making alliances ad appealing to others through diplomacy and culture. compared to hard power which is the use of military threats and economic downfall to coerce others.
- - - - Did Obama change Foreign policy after Bush?
        Obama changed foreign policy by returning to "Soft Power" which was getting what you wanted by attraction rather than coercion. He also wanted to revive diplomacy as an instrument in foreign policy.
        This didn't work as Guantanamo Bay was never closed, the largest Afganistan offensive by coalition forces was launched in 2010, forcing Obama to sign a 4 year extension of the USA PATRIOT Act. The Use of drone strikes was also increased.