Balance Of Power In U.S. Foreign Policy
Balance Of Power In U.S. Foreign Policy
The balance of power in the U.S. foreign policy making procedure has created a lot of tensions and has shifted responsibility to many individuals since the constitution was written. This system of checks and balances was put in place to assure Americans that no section of government is tyrannical and can dominate the political process. Some believe that the balance of power has shifted since it was first established, and that has caused some tensions in U.S. foreign policy.
At the foundation, the legislative branch was intended to be the most powerful branch, but today many argue that the executive branch is the more dominant branch. “One of the most widely held myths about the American constitution system is the idea that our Founding Fathers intended foreign policy to be the province of presidents, with Congress related to a decidedly secondary role” (Snow and Brown, 95). The past two centuries have not gone as the Founding Fathers had planned. The President since World War II has had more of an ability to affect foreign policy than before. “That dominance has been challenged by the most recent phase of congressional assertiveness, which began in the 1970’s “ (Snow and Brown, 96).
The President is, essentially, the head of our government. He is the one everyone looks to in a time of crisis, historically, now and other war times, and to develop policy. For example, Bush’s stem cell decision, or his proposition on tax cuts. In earlier years, the legislative branch had more say in foreign policy matters, or polices in general. There are six formal powers of the Presidency. “Constitutionally the president is the (1) chief executive, (2) chief of state, and (3) commander inn chief of the United States; he is also granted enumerated powers in regard to (4) treaty making, (5) appointment of key personal and (6) the recognition of foreign regimes” (Snow and Brown, 96). With these powers, the President is able to control and dominate foreign policy.
As chief executive, the president is in charge of agencies such as the State Department, the Pentagon, the CIA, and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, which houses a large portion of the experienced and intelligence in foreign policy making. The President can develop his own...