Foreign affairs of the USA

Amenajarea Ergonomica a unui SupermarketINTRODUCTION

The United States has the largest national economy in the world, with a GDP for 2005 of 12.41 trillion dollars. In this mixed economy, corporations and other private firms make the vast majority of microeconomic decisions, and governments prefer to take a minimal role in the domestic economy. Because of this, the U.S. has a small social safety net, and business firms in the U.S. face considerably less regulation than those in many other nations. The fiscal policy of the nation since the New Deal has followed the general ideals of Keynesian economics, which replaced Hamiltonian economics following the Great Depression. Neoliberal ideals have become more prominent since the presidency of Ronald Reagan and with the growing influence of globalization. Since the early 1980s, the United States has transformed from being the world's largest creditor to having a substantial current account deficit and a national debt, which is now approximately 64% of the GDP and the highest since the 1950s.

The United States exercises global economic, political, and military influence. It is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and New York City hosts the United Nations Headquarters. Almost all countries have embassies in Washington, D.C., and many have consulates around the country. Likewise, nearly all nations host American diplomatic missions. However, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Bhutan, Sudan, and the Republic of China (Taiwan) do not have formal diplomatic relations with the United States.

The United States enjoys strong ties with the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Israel, and fellow NATO members. It also works closely with its neighbors through the Organization of American States and free trade agreements such as the trilateral North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico. In 2008, the United States spent a net $25.4 billion on official development assistance, the most in the world. As a share of gross national income (GNI), however, the U.S. contribution of 0.18% ranked last among twenty-two donor states. In contrast, private overseas giving by Americans is relatively generous.

Chapter I. Brief history

1.1. 1776–1898

From the establishment of the United States after the American Revolution until the Spanish-American War, U.S. foreign policy reflected the country's regional, as compared to global, focus.

During the American Revolution, the United States established relations with several European powers, convincing France, Spain, and the Netherlands to intervene in its war against Britain, a mutual enemy. After the revolution, the U.S. moved to restore peace and resume its substantial trade with Great Britain in what is called the "Olive Branch Policy". Following French involvement in the Revolution, led by Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette, the United States maintained significant relations with France, as manifested by presenting the United States with the Statue of Liberty in 1886.

In general, though, the United States followed an isolationist foreign policy until attacks against U.S. shipping by Barbary Coast corsairs spurred the country into developing a naval force projection capability, resulting in the First Barbary War in 1801. Early politicians debated the wisdom of developing a navy and becoming involved in international affairs, but the United States Navy was created to prevent further economic losses: payments in ransom and tribute to the Barbary pirate states amounted to 20% of United States government annual revenues in 1800. Following that conflict, the United States engaged in a quasi-war with France and the War of 1812 with Great Britain.

In response to the new independence of Spanish colonies in Latin America in the early 1800s, the United States established the Monroe Doctrine in 1823. This policy declared opposition to European interference in the Americas and left a lasting imprint on the psyche of later American leaders. Around the same time, U.S. expansion, fueled by "Manifest Destiny" led to the Indian Wars. This also led to the annexation of the Republic of Texas, which had a pre-existing border dispute with Mexico. U.S. Army patrols in the disputed area triggered the Mexican-American War. As a result of this war the US acquired territories that would become New Mexico, Arizona and California. Manifest destiny also led to diplomatic conflict with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Russia over the Oregon Territory and with Spain over Florida.

After the end of conflict with the British military in 1815, consolidating its territories following the Civil War and the withdrawal of the last remnants of French influence in the region in 1867 when Mexican forces deposed Emperor Maximilian, the United States was unchallenged regionally. This stability, combined with the country's natural resources and growing population, resulted in substantial domestic prosperity and growth of geopolitical influence.

1.2. 1893 – 1914

In early 1893 the United States approved the overthrow of the Queen of Hawaii by local revolutionaries. President Benjamin Harrison approved and sent a treaty of annexation to the Senate, but President Grover Cleveland withdrew it and the revolutionaries formed an independent Republic of Hawaii. It voluntarily joined the U.S. in 1898 with full citizenship for the residents.

Victory in the Spanish-American War of 1898, and the subsequent acquisition of Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines and Guam, marked the United States' shift from a regional to a more global power and ejected Spain from the Americas, South East Asia and Oceania. It also marked the arrival of the US as a major naval power after Roosevelt's modernization of the US Navy. The Philippine-American War arose from the on-going Philippine Revolution against imperialism. The 1904 Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, proclaiming a right for the United States to intervene to stabilize weak states in the Americas, further weakened European influence in Latin America and established U.S. regional hegemony.

Donald Rumsfeld as U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, meets Saddam Hussein on 19-20 December 1983. Rumsfeld visited again on 24 March 1984, the day the UN reported that Iraq had used mustard gas and tabun nerve agent against Iranian troops.

1.3. World War I (1914–1918)

Despite its reluctance to directly involve itself in continental European affairs, the United States provided substantial loans to the Allies, but only entered World War I -in 1917- after attacks by German U-boats substantially interfered with U.S. shipping. During the peace conference at Versailles, Woodrow Wilson attempted to shift international relations to an idealist stance through initiatives such as his Fourteen Points which was made to ease international tensions after the war. The United States benefited from its expanded visibility and role in international commerce. The President signed the treaty, but Congress refused to ratify the Fourteen points or participate in the League of Nations, which was created at the conference. During the interwar period, U.S. domestic politics turned against idealist, international policies and the country returned to a more isolationist stance. The United States signed separate peace treaties with Germany, Austria, and Hungary in August 1921. Despite Wilson's failures to ratify his Fourteen Points in Congress, his idealism is widely credited with shaping American foreign policy since 1914.