Foreign policy is a complex subject that involves many different actors, issues and factors that interact with and influence each other in the global arena. It is interdependent with, and affected by, the foreign policies of other countries, as well as those of multilateral organizations. Scholars study foreign policy in a variety of institutions, such as think tanks and universities.
The United States is the world’s most powerful nation, and it has a great deal of influence around the globe. But even the strongest nations have limits, and they face a range of challenges that can be difficult to manage, from a rising China to an unfolding crisis in the Middle East.
Historically, the president has called the shots in the realm of foreign policy, but that doesn’t mean the executive branch isn’t constrained by checks and balances. For example, a president can deploy troops in the field but cannot declare war, which is reserved for Congress; they can enter into executive agreements with other countries but not treaties (which require Senate approval), and they cannot send a dime’s worth of aid to a country without Congressional appropriation.
Moreover, critics charge that the United States lacks credibility in promoting democracy and human rights in the world because it holds the governments of strategic partners to different standards than adversarial ones. They also accuse the United States of meddling in the internal affairs of other countries. These varying viewpoints complicate US efforts to engage with the world at large.
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