Presidential Leadership in Foreign Policy-Making Research Paper

Presidential Leadership in Foreign Policy-Making
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Presidential Leadership in Foreign Policy-Making
Introduction
The nature in which the US government conducts itself internationally remains vital and scintillating in almost every aspect. Foreign policy is defined by historians and scholars in international relations as the guiding principles of a country's behavior on foreign countries meant to safeguard a country’s relationships and interests (Tetlock, 2019). The US foreign policy was structured with a primary aim of fostering security and prosperity, with the employment of various strategies such as diplomacy, wars, alliances, and trade. The two World Wars drastically changed the approaches to foreign interventions. The US government opted for a robust military in a bid to deter other foreign nations from undermining peace and the welfare of American citizens, with Gorge W. Bush adding the option of pre-emption as a way to respond reactively to foreign enemies. Foreign policy strategies have since evolved, with the focus on the economy, human rights, and environment preservation coming into play.
Aside from military and diplomacy, there have been other deeds aimed at strengthening foreign policy. These deeds have come in form of economic aids, support for humanitarian organizations, bilateral and multilateral treaties, and sometimes taking part in arbitration and negotiation for the sake of realizing peace in a foreign nation. The American Constitution outlines the key players in the foreign policymaking, influence, and implementation. Right from the grass-root level, economic, ethnic, and humanitarian groups influence foreign policymaking. Next up is the Congress and the bureaucrats that make up the multiagency team of the Central Intelligence Agency, National security Council, Homeland Security, Joint Cheifs, the Department of State, and Defence. At the core of foreign policymaking and implementation is the president. The presidents take part in treaty negotiations, assert the advice from other key players on foreign policy, not to mention the fact that they appoint ambassadors that carry out diplomatic duties in foreign countries. Military and economic activities are undertaken under the president's command.
President's Role
A careful and in-depth understanding of the president as the Commander-in-Chief (CiC) of the armed forces reveals that the presidents’ liberty lies on international boundaries more than with the domestic boundaries. As the CiC, the president has authority over military actions, one of the tools used to implement foreign policies in a case diplomacy fails (Waxman, 2018). Congress has some influence on the military through the budget. It is also liable for declaring an act of war. Despite the limitation by Congress, some US presidents have authorized military attacks on foreign nations without its consent, justifying their action with the fact that they are the CiC and thus have autonomy on how the military acts.
The constitution also grants the president powers to sign treaties and agreements with foreign nations provided that he or she can garner support from at least two-thirds of the senate. The treaties and agreements can be of diversified concerns on international matters such as climate, trade, political, and even diplomatic agreements (Peake, 2017). A simple majority or even the president exercising executive powers can suffice the implementation of a treaty. Diplomacy, a vital tool in shaping foreign policies, is another section where the president exercises autonomy and authority on foreign affairs. The president has the power to appoint diplomats on foreign assignments bearing the interest of the US government, also with or without the consent of the Congress. Other presidential appointees who play a critical role in shaping the country’s foreign policies include the secretary of state, secretary of defense, and several other heads of the executive bodies taking part in the making and implementation of foreign policies (Hermann, 2019). It is therefore evident that most of the president's roles are more inclined towards foreign affairs than domestic matters, and the success or failure of a president is generally dependent on how they handle foreign issues.
President Gorge H.W. Bush
Most American presidents, if not all, have had a notable endeavor with regards to foreign policies. Right from President Gorge Washington to the current President Donald Trump, one can point out a decision, idea, or intervention that touches on foreign policy with ease. However, the encounters from one president to the other vary significantly depending on their approaches towards a foreign policy issue. Some have had an unpleasant encounter, while others have had tremendous effects on foreign policies. The 41st president of the US, Gorge H.W.Bush, had striking decisions and actions touching on foreign policies during his tenure (1989-93).
Several events on international territories unfolded during H.W Bush tenure that he could not just sit back and watch, but rather, intervene through drastic foreign policy decisions. The overthrowing of the Noriega, China's Tiananmen Square Massacre, nuclear arms in North Korea, German reunification, ending of the Cold War, and The Persian Gulf War are just but a few of the several events that put president H.W Bush up to the task on foreign policies (Powaski et al., 2019). The various events portray Bush's foreign policy interventions from a varied perspective. The president’s actions and decisions that preceded the Persian Gulf War is of much interest to matters of foreign policies.
The event unfolded immediately after the end of the cold war. Bush and Brent Scowcroft, the National Security Advisor had to act following the news that Saddam Hussein, Iraq's famous dictator, had plans to disrupt peace in the Middle East (Powaski et al., 2019). Hussein planned raids on Kuwait, the Middle East leading bearer of oil fields, and it got the attention of many international leaders, Bush included. Bush issued a stern warning to Hussein to desist from proclaiming raids on Kuwait, but it fell on deaf ears. The next immediate action after Hussein refused to comply was an executive order from President Bush to curtail all the trade activities with Iraq as well as seeking diplomatic adv...