But what will it actually take to fashion a foreign policy that supports the aspirations of a middle class in crisis? Foreign Policy for the Middle Class to answer that question. It proposes to better integrate U. Five broad recommendations bear highlighting up front. First, broaden the debate beyond trade. Manufacturing has long provided one of the best pathways to the middle class for those without a college degree, and it anchors local economies across the country, especially in the industrial Midwest.
But while millions of manufacturing jobs have been lost in the United States, other economic forces beyond global trade have also played a major role in the decline. Moreover, the majority of American households today sustain a middle-class standard of living through work in areas outside manufacturing, especially in the service sectors where the United States has competitive advantages.
Many of these Americans generally support the trade policies of past decades that have largely served them well. In a February Gallup poll, 79 percent of Americans agreed that international trade represents an opportunity for economic growth. Middle-class Americans are not a monolithic group. Their interests diverge. Different aspects of foreign policy impact them differently, including across gender, racial, ethnic, and geographic lines.
Second, tackle the distributional effects of foreign economic policy. It has not spurred broad-based increases in real wages among U. It has not driven a wave of public and private investments to enhance U. And while it has brought down the prices of certain highly tradable goods, it has done little to alleviate the growing pressure on American middle-class families from the rising costs of healthcare, housing, education, and childcare. Making globalization work for the American middle class requires substantial investment in communities across the United States and a comprehensive plan that helps industries and regions adjust to economic disruptions.
For decades, U. National security strategists and foreign policy planners have articulated national interests and set the direction of U. That remains a critical perspective, especially at a time when geopolitical competition with China, Russia, and other regional powers is on the rise. That is not an easy shift to make. It will take better interagency coordination, interdisciplinary expertise, and some policy imagination.
It will also require the contributions of a new generation of foreign policy professionals who break free of the mold cast during the Cold War and its immediate aftermath. Fourth, banish stale organizing principles for U. National security strategists and foreign policy planners in Washington, DC, crave neat organizing principles for U.
In fact, these are all surefire recipes for further widening the disconnect between the foreign policy community and the vast majority of Americans beyond Washington, who are more concerned with proximate threats to their physical and economic security.
A foreign policy agenda that would resonate more with middle-class households and, in fact, advance their well-being, should. This may seem like a somewhat less ambitious foreign policy agenda than might be expected from a task force comprised of foreign policy professionals who served in Democratic and Republican administrations from George H.
Bush to Barack Obama. Continue broadening relations with parties in power. Develop people-to-people external relations under the motto ''proactiveness, flexibility, creativeness and efficiency''. Actively participate in world people's forums and activities, and contribute to the common struggle for peace, equitable and sustainable development, democracy and social progress.
Intensify assistance mobilization efforts and raise the quality of cooperation with foreign non-governmental organizations for socio-economic development. Proactively participate in the common struggle for human rights. Stay ready to hold dialogues with concerned countries and international and regional organizations on human rights issues.
Resolutely foil schemes and acts of distortion and abuse of issues of ''democracy'', ''human rights'', ''ethnicity" and "religion" to interfere in our internal affairs and encroach upon Viet-nam's independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, security and political stability. Push ahead foreign economic activities, integrate more deeply and fully in global, regional and bilateral economic institutions, with national interests as the highest objective. Proactively and actively engage in international economic integration following a roadmap in conformity with the national development strategy till and the vision.
Make proper preparations for the signing of bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements. Consolidate and develop reliable bilateral cooperation with strategic partners; effectively take advantage of opportunities and minimize challenges and risks following our accession to the World Trade Organization WTO.
Further innovate economic institutions, review legal documents, amend and improve the legal system with a view to ensuring harmony, consistency, stability and transparency. Improve the investment environment; attract inflows of FDI, ODA, portfolio investment, commercial credit, and other sources of capital. State intentions are critical to the actions of others. These are considered when polices are formulated or actions are taken.
The intention of Russia in the US elections for instance, which was to break the US internally for Russia to become more influential globally, continues to underlie the attitude of the US in global politics, particularly its disposition towards Kremlin. Opinions and actions of great powers , within or outside the UN Security Council, for instance towards nuclear armament and global terror, are the reasons states with the capacity in the international community cannot acquire nuclear arms or seen to be favourably disposed to global terror.
National security is the main reason nations keep armies. Every state, from abundant historical experience, is alive to the critical fear that other states seek what it possesses. National security is the defence of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of state against external aggression. Membership of international organizations will naturally limit state sovereignty or, put differently, cut down the excesses of states in relationship with one another.
International organizations have founding treaties, charters, covenants, agreements and so forth that bind member-states and guide their actions. This system of international laws regulates the behaviour of states, so long as they are contracting partners pacta sunt servanda.
Foreign policies are often formulated and implemented within such frameworks. Leadership and dynamism of Murtala Muhammad, which played out in the external relations of Nigeria between and Foreign policy can be as complex as it is interesting.
Domestic dynamics and trajectories define foreign policy more than anything else. This is for two reasons: foreign policy itself is the projection of domestic values, strengths or weaknesses and interests towards national development. Foreign policy strengthens the internal context from outside. US shows its intentions about the nuclear power status of North Korea and Iran. Before you download your free e-book, please consider donating to support open access publishing.
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Any amount, in any currency, is appreciated. Many thanks! Donations are voluntary and not required to download the e-book - your link to download is below. Image via Flickr by Rick Galvan. Foreign Policy Decision-Making This is the process of making foreign policies.
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