This document provides an overview of Chapter 17 which discusses foreign affairs and national security in the United States. It covers key topics such as the history of US foreign policy from isolationism to internationalism, the roles and functions of departments such as State and Defense, America's involvement in global security alliances like NATO, and the country's approach to issues like foreign aid and relations with the United Nations. The chapter assessments at the end include multiple choice questions to test comprehension of the material.

1. CHAPTER 17
Foreign Affairs and National Security
• What is foreign policy?
• What is the difference between isolationism and
internationalism?
• How does the Department of State function?
• How do the Department of Defense and the
military departments function?

2. CHAPTER 17
Isolationism to Internationalism
• For more than 150 years, the American people
were chiefly interested in domestic affairs, or
what was happening at home.
• Foreign affairs, or the nation’s relationships with
other countries, were of little or no concern.
• Isolationism, the purposeful refusal to become
generally involved in the affairs of the rest of the
world, was American policy during this time.
• Since World War II, however, U.S. policy has
featured a broadening of American involvement
in global affairs.

3. CHAPTER 17
Foreign Policy Defined
• A nation’s foreign policy is made up of all the
stands and actions that a nation takes in every
aspect of its relationships with other countries.
• The President, the nation’s chief diplomat and
commander in chief of its armed forces, has
traditionally carried the major responsibility for
both the making and conduct of foreign policy.

4. CHAPTER 17
The State Department
• The State Department is headed by the secretary of state, who
ranks first among the members of the President’s Cabinet.
• An ambassador is a personal representative appointed by the
President to represent the nation in a foreign country in matters of
diplomacy.
• The State Department issues passports, certificates issued to
citizens who travel or live abroad.
• Diplomatic immunity is usually applied to ambassadors and
means that they are not subject to the laws of state to which they
are accredited.

5. CHAPTER 17
The Defense Department
This chart shows the chain of command of the American military
services.

6. CHAPTER 17
The Military Departments
The Department of the Army
• The army is the largest and the oldest of the armed services.
• The army consists of standing troops, or the Regular Army, and
its reserve units—the Army National Guard and Army Reserve.
The Department of the Navy
• The navy’s major responsibilities are for sea warfare and defense.
• The U.S. Marine Corps, a combat-ready land force, are under the
auspices of navy command.
The Department of the Air Forces
• The air force is the youngest branch of the armed services.
• The air force’s main responsibility is to serve as the nation’s first
line of defense.

7. CHAPTER 17
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Section 1 Assessment
1. United States foreign policy might consist of any of the following EXCEPT
(a) intrastate energy disputes.
(b) protection of overseas interests.
(c) international trade policy.
(d) sending diplomats to global conferences.
2. Under the principle of civilian control of the military,
(a) the military acts as an independent and autonomous body.
(b) military generals have unrestricted control of the armed forces.
(c) mandatory service is used as a means of recruitment.
(d) an officer of the people has ultimate control of the armed forces.

8. CHAPTER 17
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Section 1 Assessment
1. United States foreign policy might consist of any of the following EXCEPT
(a) intrastate energy disputes.
(b) protection of overseas interests.
(c) international trade policy.
(d) sending diplomats to global conferences.
2. Under the principle of civilian control of the military,
(a) the military acts as an independent and autonomous body.
(b) military generals have unrestricted control of the armed forces.
(c) mandatory service is used as a means of recruitment.
(d) an officer of the people has ultimate control of the armed forces.

9. CHAPTER 17
Other Foreign and Defense Agencies
• What agencies are involved in foreign and
defense policy?
• How do the CIA, NASA, the Selective Service
System, and the Office of Homeland Security
contribute to the nation’s security?

10. CHAPTER 17
The CIA and the Office of Homeland Security
The CIA
• The Central Intelligence
Agency (CIA) is a key part of
the foreign policy
establishment.
• The CIA is responsible for
collecting, analyzing, and
reporting information for the
President and the NSC.
• A full range of espionage, or
spying, activities are
undertaken by the CIA.
The Office of Homeland Security
• The Office of Homeland
Security is part of the Executive
Office of the President. Its
director has cabinet rank.
• The office oversees the anti-
terrorist efforts of federal, State,
and local agencies, including
the FBI, the CIA, the Coast
Guard, and local police forces.

11. CHAPTER 17
NASA and the Selective Service
NASA
• The National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) is the independent agency
that deals with the nation’s space policy.
The Selective Service
• The Selective Service System handles, when
necessary, the conscription—or draft—of citizens
for service in the armed forces.

12. CHAPTER 17
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Section 2 Assessment
1. Information gathering in foreign nations, or espionage, falls under the
auspices of
(a) the Selective Service System.
(b) the CIA.
(c) NASA.
(d) the Executive Office of the President.
2. The Selective Service System handles matters involved with
(a) conscription.
(b) customer relations.
(c) staffing federal agencies.
(d) none of the above.

13. CHAPTER 17
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Section 2 Assessment
1. Information gathering in foreign nations, or espionage, falls under the
auspices of
(a) the Selective Service System.
(b) the CIA.
(c) NASA.
(d) the Executive Office of the President.
2. The Selective Service System handles matters involved with
(a) conscription.
(b) customer relations.
(c) staffing federal agencies.
(d) none of the above.

14. CHAPTER 17
American Foreign Policy Overview
• What were the themes in American foreign policy
through World War I?
• How did the two World Wars affect America’s
traditional policy of isolationism?
• What are the principles of collective security and
deterrence?
• How did the United States resist Soviet
aggression during the cold war?
• How can we describe American foreign policy
since the end of the cold war?

15. CHAPTER 17
Foreign Policy From Independence Through World War I
• For 150 years, the United States had a policy of isolationism, as
stated in George Washington’s Farewell Address.
• The Monroe Doctrine (1823) warned Europe to stay out of the
affairs of North and South America and established the United
States as the hegemonic power of the Western Hemisphere.
• Throughout the nineteenth century, the United States expanded
across the North American continent through both land purchases
and military conquests.
• As the United States expanded commercially in the late nineteenth
century, so did the reach of its foreign policy, as seen in the Good
Neighbor policy in effect in Latin America during the early 1900s,
and the Open Door Policy for China during the same time.

16. CHAPTER 17
World War I and World War II
World War I
• The United States entered World War I after continued disruptions
of American commerce by German submarine warfare.
• After the defeat of Germany and the Central Powers, the nation
retreated to a policy of isolationism.
World War II
• The bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, drew the
United States into World War II, joining the Allies (the Soviet
Union, Britain, and China) fighting against the Axis Powers (Italy,
Japan, and Germany).
• World War II led to a historic shift away from isolationism to an
increased role in global affairs by the United States.

17. CHAPTER 17
Two New Principles
Collective Security
• Collective security, favored by the United States
following World War II, involves a world
community in which most nations would agree to
act together against any nation that threatened
the peace.
Deterrence
• Deterrence is the policy of making America and
its allies so militarily strong that their very
strength will deter—discourage, or even prevent
—any attack.

18. CHAPTER 17
Resisting Soviet Aggression
The Truman Doctrine
• The Truman Doctrine established the policy of containment, an effort to “contain” the
spread of communism throughout the nations of the world.
The Berlin Blockade
• In 1948, the Soviet Union cut off all land transit to West Berlin. The United States
responded with an airlift of goods to the city.
The Cuban Missile Crisis
• In 1962, it was discovered that the Soviet Union was building missiles on the island
of Cuba. A heated stand-off between the Soviet Union and America ensued.
The Korean War
• The Korean War was fought under the auspices of the United Nations after the forces
of communist North Korea invaded South Korea.
The War in Vietnam
• The United States dedicated thousands of troops in an effort to resist aggression by
communist forces in Vietnam.
The cold war was a period of more than 40 years during which relations
between the United States and the Soviet Union were tense, but did not result
in direct military action between the two.

19. CHAPTER 17
From Détente Through the Present
• Following the U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam, the Nixon
administration embarked on a policy of détente.
• Détente is a French term meaning “relaxation of tensions.”
• Nixon would become the first U.S. President to visit mainland
China in 1972. He also visited Moscow during his administration.
• The cold war came to an end with the dissolution of the Soviet
Union in 1991.
• January 1991 brought the Persian Gulf War, with American forces
spear-heading a multinational force to drive Iraqi forces out of
Kuwait.
• The United States declared a war on terrorism in response to the
attacks of September 11, 2001.

20. CHAPTER 17
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Section 3 Assessment
1. For much of the United States first 150 years, its foreign policy was one of
(a) internationalism.
(b) isolationism.
(c) imperialism.
(d) commercialism.
2. Collective security refers to
(a) the goal of most of the nations of the world to act together to maintain
the peace.
(b)a free market ideal aimed at creating new markets for American goods.
(c) a policy of tariffs and duties to protect American industries.
(d)the goal of the United States to expand its borders.

21. CHAPTER 17
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Section 3 Assessment
1. For much of the United States first 150 years, its foreign policy was one of
(a) internationalism.
(b) isolationism.
(c) imperialism.
(d) commercialism.
2. Collective security refers to
(a) the goal of most of the nations of the world to act together to maintain
the peace.
(b)a free market ideal aimed at creating new markets for American goods.
(c) a policy of tariffs and duties to protect American industries.
(d)the goal of the United States to expand its borders.

22. CHAPTER 17
Foreign Aid and Defense Alliances
• What are the two types of foreign aid?
• How can we describe United States foreign aid
policy?
• What are the major security alliances to which the
United States belongs?
• What is United States policy in the Middle East?
• What role does the United Nations play, and what
problems does it face?

23. CHAPTER 17
Foreign Aid
• Foreign aid—economic and military aid to other
countries—has been a basic feature of American
foreign policy for more than 50 years.
• Most aid has been sent to those nations regarded
as the most critical to the realization of this
country’s foreign policy objectives.
• Most foreign aid money must be used to buy
American goods and products.

24. CHAPTER 17
Security Alliances
NATO
• The North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO) was
formed to promote the
collective defense of Western
Europe.
• Today, NATO’s purpose has
changed. With the collapse of
the Soviet Union, NATO’s
goals have broadened to
include peacekeeping roles,
such as in the Balkans, and
establishing a continued
relationship with Russia.
Other Alliances
• The United States is also part
of the Rio Pact with Canada
and Latin America, the
ANZUS pact with Australia
and New Zealand, as well as
other pacts in the Pacific
region.
• The United States has also
taken an active interest in the
actions that unfold in the
Middle East, although
America is not part of any
formal alliance in the region.

25. CHAPTER 17
The United Nations
• The United Nations was formed following World
War II to promote peace and security across the
globe.
• The General Assembly acts as “the town meeting
of the world.”
• Oversight and maintenance of international peace
is delegated to the UN Security Council, of which
the United States is a permanent member.
• Peacekeeping missions, international aid to
children and women, and investigations and aid
for world health services are all examples of
current United Nations functions.

26. CHAPTER 17
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Section 4 Assessment
1. All of the following are examples of foreign aid EXCEPT
(a) the United States sending supplies to a region struck by an
earthquake.
(b) the use of the military in overseas peacekeeping missions.
(c) block grants to State governments to assist immigrants.
(d) monetary aid to rebuild the economies of Europe.
2. The United Nations has all of the following functions EXCEPT
(a) providing aid to children in emergency situations.
(b) intervention in the activities of sovereign nations.
(c) raising concerns over the global environment.
(d) attempting to guarantee basic human rights worldwide.

27. CHAPTER 17
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Section 4 Assessment
1. All of the following are examples of foreign aid EXCEPT
(a) the United States sending supplies to a region struck by an
earthquake.
(b) the use of the military in overseas peacekeeping missions.
(c) block grants to State governments to assist immigrants.
(d) monetary aid to rebuild the economies of Europe.
2. The United Nations has all of the following functions EXCEPT
(a) providing aid to children in emergency situations.
(b) intervention in the activities of sovereign nations.
(c) raising concerns over the global environment.
(d) attempting to guarantee basic human rights worldwide.