On any given day, you have
a lot on your mind from feeding the dog to finding your phone,
to finally having some fun. So why worry about what some diplomat does
or what the Secretary of State says? Well, choosing between
what's going on in your line of vision and what's going on thousands of miles
away isn't really a choice at all, because the world we live in is one in which every person, place
and thing is connected. That means the decisions our leaders
make boomerang back into our lives in bo
th positive and negative ways
all the time. What you can buy on Amazon and how much it costs, what videos you watch on YouTube
and what music they contain. Whether you have access to Tik Tok or enough avocados to make guacamole. All of that stuff is related
to foreign policy. And so, of course our more serious issues
like whether your country will enter a war or face a pandemic
or a recession in this unit of World. 101, we'll break down
how your leaders make decisions on your behalf and why they
matter
by unpacking the approaches, tools and mechanics of foreign
policymaking in the United States. Our first module looks at the different ways countries
approach their relationships, deciphering big words like multilateralism and
isolationism in easy to understand terms. Because the truth is, leaders often face
similar dilemmas to the ones you encounter every day, whether to actively participate
or try to stay on the sidelines, keep true to ideals,
or do whatever it takes to achieve your go
als
or get something accomplished. Decide whether to go it alone
or work with friends. Our second module runs through the tools leaders
use to achieve their foreign policy goals. War, diplomacy, trade, spying, even cultural exports
like soccer or movies can be deployed to defuse a difficult situation
or encourage a promising one. We'll review a full list examining the advantages
and disadvantages of each tool. Finally, our third module unpacks how U.S. foreign policy is made and why it matters.
While mostly the job of presidents
and their advisors, Congress, the press, special interest groups,
even ordinary people play a role in how the United States interacts
with other countries. Foreign policy might sound complex,
but at its core, it's about managing a country's
relationships in a way that supports its economy and security,
while hopefully leaving the world more stable, more peaceful,
and more prosperous than before.
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