EDWARD'S LECTURE NOTES:
More notes at http://tanguay.info/learntracker
C O U R S E 
21st Century American Foreign Policy
Bruce Jentleson, Duke University
https://www.coursera.org/course/afp21stcentury
C O U R S E   L E C T U R E 
Three Voices on Foreign Policy: Obama, McCain, and Rand Paul
Notes taken on January 31, 2014 by Edward Tanguay
a sampling of the foreign policy debate within the U.S.
videos:
President Barack Obama
2004-2008 senator from Illinois
Senator John McCain
1967-73 naval officer taken prisoner of war in Vietnam
2008 ran against Obama
Senator Rand Paul
2010 elected Republican senator in Kentucky
support of and supported by the "Tea Party" movement
how to analyze each video:
1. what is each speaker's vision of the role the United States should play in the world?
2. what does each see as the principal threats to the U.S.?
3. what are the principal strategies that each emphasizes for U.S. foreign policy?
Barack Obama: Inaugural Address from 2013
vision of U.S. foreign policy:
the U.S. is an anchor of strong alliances in every corner of the globe
we are looked to as an anchor because of our military power, number of alliances, and historical standing
renew institutions that extend our capacity to manage crisis abroad
differentiating from previous Bush administration which was seen as unilateral, U.S. making its own decisions, e.g. going to war in Iraq without the support of many other major countries
institutions he's talking about
United Nations
International Monetary Fund
World Health Organization
these institutions extend our capacity to manage relations abroad
you need these institutions which, by their nature, bring together the countries of the world
support democracy from Asia to Africa, from the Americas to the Middle East
U.S. is a source of hope
principal threats to U.S.:
forever vigilant against those who would do us harm
try to resolve our differences with other nations peacefully
strategies:
force and diplomacy: strength of arms and rule of law and resolve differences peacefully
support democracy
fight poverty
has ruined the lives of millions of people
can lead to terrorism
John McCain: speech from 2012 Republican National Convention
vision of U.S. foreign policy:
America is an exceptional nation
need to ask what is meant by this, and how true has American foreign policy been to the definition given
McCain's means we pursue values and principles such as democracy, not just powered interests around the world
backed up by the history of American's fight against Fascism and Communism in World War II and the Cold War
the demand for our leadership has never been greater
even though we are not in World War II or the Cold War anymore, countries still demand global leadership from the U.S.
everywhere McCain goes in the world, people tell him that they have faith in America
principal threats to U.S.
threats today are more complex, more numerous, and just as deeply deadly as he recalls in his lifetime
referring to his experience in the Vietnam war and being a prisoner of war
referring to living through the Cold War
threats are different but of the same magnitude
foreign policy strategy:
we are on a declining path
need to reform government
revitalize economy
renew foundations of power and leadership in the world
poses the question: do we have faith in ourselves?
Senator Rand Paul: speech in 2013 to the Heritage Foundation, a think tank lobbying group in Washington D.C.
vision of U.S. foreign policy:
a more restrained foreign policy
different from McCain
we need to do less in the world
principal threats to U.S.
the issue is less about threats from others to the U.S. than threats of U.S. foreign policy causing to the U.S. domestic system
U.S. should work within the confines of the constitution, e.g. don't let foreign policy get so out of hand that we are bulk spying on American citizens in an attempt to reduce the chance of a terrorist attack
face the realities of a fiscal crisis instead
foreign policy strategy:
more restrained, do less
be as critical and reflective when examining foreign policy as we are with domestic policy
questions scope of U.S. commitments
questions defense spending: can we afford this?