What is diplomacy? Under what circumstances is the president's foreign policy most likely to rely on diplomacy? Under what circumstances is the president most likely to rely on military action instead of diplomacy? Give an example of when the United States has relied on diplomacy and when it has relied on military action.

Question

Given the uncertain state of the world because of terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, will U.S. foreign policy in the future be more likely to focus on diplomacy or military action?

Answer 1

An ideal response will:
1. Define diplomacy as an effort to achieve a desired policy outcome through negotiations with other countries.
2. Outline when the president will rely on diplomacy to conduct foreign policy, such as when dealing with countries that are U.S. allies, when dealing with issues that do not need to be resolved quickly, or when avoiding a military confrontation that is in the long-term best interest of the United States.
3. Identify when the president will rely on military action, such as when there is a direct and immediate threat to the United States, when dealing with a rogue leader who is not interested in diplomacy, or when a military strike can be effective without jeopardizing long-term U.S. interests.
4. Provide an example of the U.S. use of diplomacy, such as "The Road Map to Peace" in the Middle East or agreements with Russia to reduce nuclear arms.
5. Provide an example of the U.S. use of direct military action, such as the use of military force in Libya or the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
6. Discuss how military might alone is not sufficient to deal with problems like terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, but diplomacy also does not always work if nations are unwilling to negotiate, and so U.S. foreign policy in the future will most likely incorporate both, starting with diplomacy and moving to military action when all diplomatic efforts fail.