American Domestic and Foreign Policies (1953-1991)
Domestic policies and foreign policies are closely linked. The foreign arena is mainly applied to defend the interests of the local people, and the development of domestic policies determines numerous foreign factors. The entire process requires the participation of various actors, not just the government, but also cities, regions, companies, and civil society. Domestic policies are the leadership decisions that directly relate to the activities and issues within the borders of a country. On the other hand, foreign policies involve how the administration advances its interests to the politics of the world. In most cases, presidents are the top officials who implement both domestic and foreign policies. In turn, these policies determine the social and economic conditions of the country.
John F Kennedy is famous for his containment policy to the Soviet Union, expansion of the space program, his New Frontier Policies, and his support for civil rights. The domestic program of Kennedy was called the New Frontier. This policy promised to offer federal financing for medical care for the elderly, education, economic help to rural areas, and intervention by the government to counter economic recession that was hurting the nation during that time. During his state of the union address in 1963, Kennedy proposed a reduction in the rates of income tax and substantial tax reform (Kennedy, 1961). Only a few of his major programs were passed by the congress. During his administration, he managed to loosen financial policy to encourage economic growth by keeping down the rates of interest. As a result, the country’s economy turned around and prospered. Inflation was steady, industrial production increased, there was an increase in sales of motor vehicles, GDP expanded, and unemployment eased. The foreign policy of John Kennedy was subjugated by American hostilities with the Soviet Union (Kaufman, 1993). This was manifested by alternative conflicts at the beginning of the cold war and coming to the edge of the nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis. His leadership was also featured by a containment policy, and support for developing nations and their nationalism movements. His style of management favored an organization structure in which all spokes led to the president. Besides, he led the creation of the Peace Corps, a program whereby Americans volunteer to assist developing countries in areas like healthcare, education, construction, and farming.
President Richard Nixon made major achievements in the foreign policy realm. With the assistance of Henry Kissinger, Nixon initiated diplomatic projects with China (Drilling, 2016). He even made productive and well-received visits to China. This visit paved the way for a new era of relations between China and the United States. He planned a secret bombing campaign of Cambodia’s Vietnamese positions to end the involvement of the American military in Vietnam. This strategy replaced American soldiers with the Vietnamese military. Also, President Nixon improved diplomatic relations between USSR and the US. In the domestic policy, Richard Nixon advocated for new federalism, which devolved power to local and state elected officials. Although his ideals faced hostility from the Congress, a few of them were enacted. He prioritized on inflation and budget deficits. He also fought with senators from the Democratic Party over country-wide healthcare insurance. In regards to civil rights, he looked at finding a solution to the issue of school integration. He implemented the first law of affirmative action (the Philadelphia Plan) in 1970.
Gerald Ford’s foreign policy was the United States’ foreign policy between 19674 and 1977 (Kline, 2014). Ford ruled the US during the period of the cold war, and he continued the policies of Richard Nixon’s concern détente with China and the Soviet Union. He managed the last stages of the war in Vietnam where he later announced that participation of the US in the battle had ended. In the upshot of this battle, the administration of Ford reacted forcefully to the incidences with North Korea in Panmunjom and Mayaguez incident (Kline, 2014). His administration also facilitated the conclusion of the Sinai Interim Agreement between Egypt and Israel. The domestic policy of Gerald Ford focused on the war against inflation. However, it changed to a fight against high taxes, government regulations, and deep recession. Due to his congenial personality, he was able to repair relations with Congress and media while providing humor and a mark of accessibility. His presidency was marked with stability and normalcy, both in personality and policy.
The domestic policies of Ronald Reagan emphasized on conserving economic values. He began by implementing supply-side economic policies. These policies also involved the largest cut in tax in the history of America and increased spending in defense as part of the Soviet strategy. Nevertheless, due to economic reforms and conditions, he significantly raised non-income taxes four times. Luckily, tax reforms that were instituted during his reign caused top marginal rates to the lowest. The domestic policies of Reagan had a significant impact on the people of America (Dobson, 2016). He even led the fight for reform in the social security bill aimed at ensuring the long-term solvency of the system, as well as overseeing the passage of the legislation on immigration reform. Moreover, he encouraged the establishment of private sector initiatives and federalism which transferred some duties which were better done by state and local governments, or private businesses. The foreign policy of Reagan aimed at preventing the expansion of communism. Ablation of the effort of making peace in Central America made the Soviets withdraw troops from Afghanistan. He trusted that the country had to hold negotiations with the Soviet Union from a strong position. His leadership also initiated a strategic modernization suite that consisted of the manufacturing of an intercontinental missile, as well as a feasibility study on the strategic defense initiative. Reagan also held a firm stand regarding terrorism.
Indeed, the foreign and domestic policies of these four presidents largely helped in strengthening the public interest and democracy of the US. Some of the policies allowed for the mass public regarding major issues in the country. For instance, the policy of Reagan regarding the reduction of taxes was implemented after public participation was conducted. This allowed the civic society to air their concerns and opinions. Leaders would always ask for public views regarding certain issues that were affecting the country. Through this, the presidents strengthened the country’s democracy.
The history of wars in America has been that American troops wait for the enemy to attack first. However, there’s a lot that the soldiers do to provoke enemies. The constitution of the US doesn’t say anything regarding preemptive wars. These wars are an olden concept, defended and attacked throughout centuries. Thus, it is not constitutional for the US to participate in preemptive wars.
The United States’ foreign policy is how the government relates to foreign countries. This policy specifies the interactions for its organizations, citizens, and corporations. Foreign policies determine if the country will intercede on behalf of the country in case the rights of human beings are violated. Morality and human rights have to be the cornerstones of the US foreign policy.
In conclusion, most solutions to the economic challenges that America is facing lie in foreign and domestic policies on education, taxes, human rights, pensions, healthcare, occupational licensing, corporate governance, infrastructure, and housing among others. The type of leadership determines the achievement of these policies in ensuring that the interests of the citizens are met while at the time giving opportunities for foreign interaction. Domestic and foreign policies are the backbone of the development of a nation.
References
Dobson, A. (2016). Ronald Reagan’s Strategies and Policies: Of Ideology, Pragmatism, Loyalties, and Management Style. Diplomacy & Statecraft, 27(4), 746-765.
Drilling, G. D. (2016). Presidential Power in Foreign Policy: Richard Nixon and the Era of Détente with the Soviet Union and China.
Kaufman, B. I. (1993). John F. Kennedy as a world leader: A perspective on the literature. Diplomatic History, 17(3), 447-470.
Kennedy, J. F. (1961). State of Union Address.
Kline, C. (2014). The Promises We Keep President Gerald R. Ford’s Leadership at the Helsinki Conference (Doctoral dissertation).