The United States & the world in the 21st century
The political custom of the United State is different, and it is not compatible with the leading world role. Questions have been posed as to whether the United States can overcome pressures ranging from national divisions economic pressures and transitional civil society. The political position in the United States if facing crisis and with the second term of president Obama, he is facing challenges from all over the world. The great super power is weakening each day and as the president does not have the support of the congress, which is hard on him because any decision made has to be passed by two thirds majority of the senate. Therefore, with the disagreements between the president and the congress the United States is facing allot of political challenges. The political institutions at the national level affect the states, hence affecting the American foreign policy.
The American cultural power comes from political powers and world views, where the political network in the United States is powerful and very strong. The president of the United States has much authority and political power in the country. However, in the recent day’s president Obama has been receiving opposition from the congress and other emerging world powers such as China. Although president Obama was able to neutralize terrorism through the murder of Osama bin Laden, his country is undergoing many crises. For example, the rate of unemployment has increased by over 10%, and critics are asking whether the known super power is still a super power. The role of the president in foreign policy begins in the United States Constitution where it calls for sharing of powers between the three branches of government.
The constitution does not emphasize much on the foreign policy. However, the makers and the founders of the constitution imposed the three arms of government to ensure that they keep checks and balances between each other. It is said that the greatest part of the three arms of government played was to restrain the United States Government in world government. Therefore, the congress has the power to curb the president from letting the country entangle itself from world politics. The president has four formal powers in foreign policy, which include appointing cabinet secretaries and ambassadors, directing the conduct of welfare, conducting diplomacy and negotiating and signing treaties and international agreements.
The most controversial areas of foreign policy in the United States are the presidential powers in the war. The president has no power to proclaim war or send the military into an area where there is a war. For example, when President Obama sent troops to Libya to help in the arrest of Gaddafi, the congress opposed this move by the president and they recalled the troops stating that the president went beyond his presidential powers. Three factors account for the endless controversy on the presidential war powers. First, formal declaration of war is no longer a standard practice in diplomacy. Secondly, military interventions provide a fait accompli for presidents. Lastly, presidents have a broader discretion to conduct the wars in whatever ways they deem appropriate.
The president has a prerogative in the twilight zone where he enjoys a high degree of discretion when it comes to manage the United States foreign policy. The discretion given to the president is imperative because of the mistrust that the two branches of government. International policies that are not written explicitly in the constitution are apportioned between the president and the congress. In one of the most famous opinions of Justice Robert Jackson, he observed that there is a zone of twilight where the president and the congress may have concurrent authority. Therefore, most routine actions by the United States government in international matters fall within the twilight zone. The presidents of the United from the past have filled the void in the foreign affairs policies by wielding power without persuasion. The enormous scope of the presidential prerogative is apparent in three different areas of the United States foreign policy. First, there is setting the foreign policy agenda, taking an initiative and organizing the chain of command.
The world views of the United States are diverse where most people have negative views of the country while others have positive views. The America people knew in the past is not the same in the 21st century where the rate of inflation has increased; the unemployment rate has increased as well as the homelessness for some citizens in the State. Public opinion is one of the things that shape the democratic policy of any nation. In the United States, public policy is important because people are made aware of the events happening all over the world.
The United States has undertaken to help suffering countries by rescuing them from instability. For instance, they went to help Libya after a fight broke out between Gaddafi’s royals and the opposition. The Libyan people were tired of the way of governing by the Libyan president, and they wanted more than he was giving the people of Libya. Additionally, the United States sent troops to Iraq in order to see whether they would stabilize the government and people would elect a leader in a democratic way. The intentions of the American government were good, but the Iraq people thought they were interfering with the way of governance. The United States used many resources in realizing and ending the war in Iraq. However, after the entry of president Obama into power he recalled the troops back to the United States.
The United States has been a country that has tried to help less developed countries by funding them with resources. However, the country has been receiving financial constraints and high unemployment rates. This has become one of the weakest points of the country where other emerging super powers are seen to be stepping into the shoes of the United States, especially the Republic of China.
There have been conflicts between the democratic republic of China and the United States, where the growth of China in the current years has threatened the United States. However, despite the public opinions on the issue of the two super powers it is believed that the U.S will remain predominant for many more years to come. This is because Russia, China, India and other emerging powers in the world will continue to be preoccupied with internal affairs affecting their country. Additionally, other raising states will go ahead with the bandwagon with Washington rather than from any rivalry with Moscow, New Delhi or Beijing. Therefore, although the United States has many fault now it still leads, when it comes to cultural influence, entrepreneurship and technological innovation.
Reference list
Hook, Steven W., and John W. Spanier. 2013. American foreign policy since World War II. Thousand Oaks, Calif: CQ Press.
