Us Wars Essay - 4423 Words

Political Science 120A Midterm Study Questions 1. How does public opinion affect foreign policy? Is public opinion permissive or constraining? Does the U.S. public support the use of force? Under what conditions? -The public holds the president accountable because he needs approval ratings and support, especially during elections. Public can constrain freedom of action (if the public hates something, the president isn’t going to do it), and the public generally supports war when it is a security issue. It opposes casualties though, and in the case of the Vietnam War, the public urged the U.S. to back down. If the public does not like something: * permissive (could allow president to do something risky) - tends to rally†¦show more content†¦straw man tactics - agree on a particular alternative, then surround it by two extreme ones → the â€Å"normal† issue is picked; ensures president doesn’t get all the options Missed opportunities to move forward. 4. What factors contributed to the U.S. intelligence failure over WMD in Iraq? If Saddam didn’t have WMD, why wasn’t he more cooperative with international inspections? (Check out the Fisher article) President Bush made many claims about Iraq possessing WMDs, and these claims were able to strike fear into the American public. Because the people relied on his information, even though it wasn’t credible, he was able to get enough popular support to send military forces into Iraq, without the full approval of Congress (check this fact?) he used an old resolution that allowed him to go to war. (Pollack article). Also, there was lack of information sharing between the CIA and FBI because competitors don’t like to share info. The CIA also contributed to intelligence failure because it distorted info and chose specific reports to support their decision and didn’t actually give congress the correct info. The UN also went in and made reports but gave unreliable info based on fabrications and outdated info. The administration tainted intelligence by cherry picking through the information that they wanted. They would intentionally choo se channels that would give them the information they wanted, most notably theShow MoreRelatedUS Involvement in the Vietnam War1301 Words   |  5 PagesInvolvement in the Vietnam War Over thirty years ago the Vietnam War ended, and the U.S. came back home with their tails between their legs and nothing to show for other than a high number of casualties, and a huge pile of debt. The U.S. underestimated the North Vietnamese army, and it was costly. Many believe that the Vietnam War was none of the U.S. business, but on the contrary, many believe we should have tried to stop the spread of communism. The long-lasting Vietnam War was unnecessary for theRead MoreUS Civil War1519 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿The American Civil War created the nation of the United States as we know it today. The bloodiest war in the history of the nation, the victory was a combination of many factors and many battles that finally resulted in a Union victory. But why would a nation engage in combat so fiercely that more Americans were lost in the one war than in the American Revolution, WW1, WW2 and the Vietnam War combined? The main cause of the American Civil War was slavery. According to historian David GoldfieldRead MoreUS Action During the Cold War1027 Words   |  5 PagesThe United States from the Cold War and into the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) continues to face challenges in translating military might into political desires due to its obsession with raising an army, electing politicians and assembling a diplomatic corp that continue to gravitate towards State-to-State engagements that if not rectified could lead to substantial delays in fighting terrorism and non-terrorist adversaries or worse total failure of the United States Military’s ability to properlyRead MoreEssay on Cold War and Us Diplomacy1701 Words   |  7 PagesThe Cold War and U.S Diplomacy politic 300 07/31/2011 The Cold War Diplomacy When most people think of President Kennedy’s Diplomacy efforts, they will often refer to situations that were resolved using the doctrine of flexible response. This is when the military and White House planners implemented a policy that offered them a range of options to choose from: in dealing with a host of threats. These included: the increased use of conventional forces to small and large nuclear weaponsRead MoreCauses of 2003 Us Iraq War3883 Words   |  16 PagesLiberalism and Hegemonic Stability Theory As Causes for the 2003 US-Iraq War Many factors went into the decision of United States leaders to enter into war with Iraq in 2003. These reasons can be related to various classical and modern theories on the causes of war between states. Though there are several stances and viewpoints on the righteousness or legality of the war on Iraq, an objective eye will notice that the real factors for going to war are neither grounded in righteousness nor law. They involveRead MoreUS Actions in World War I 880 Words   |  4 PagesUS Actions in World War I A point that has been studied by many is for what reason were the U-2s flown over Russian territory in the first place. Eisenhower claimed to want to â€Å"get a better handleRead More Review of War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning Essay1762 Words   |  8 PagesReview of War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning, written by the talented author Chris Hedges, gives us provoking thoughts that are somewhat painful to read but at the same time are quite personal confessions. Chris Hedges, a talented journalist to say the least, brings nearly 15 years of being a foreign correspondent to this book and subjectively concludes how all of his world experiences tie together. Throughout his book, he unifies themes present in allRead MoreEssay on The US Involvement in The Vietnam War1067 Words   |  5 Pages The Vietnam War was one of the worst wars in the United States history. The reason for the United States involvement was due to the start of communism in North Vietnam. The citizens in South Vietnam feared the control of North Vietnam and were worried that the north would take control of the south. The communist North Vietnam had support from the Soviet Union and China, making the South Vietnamese vulnerable to the north. In their time of struggle the South Vietnamese were able to receiveRead MoreUS-MEXICAN WAR Essay1848 Words   |  8 PagesThe U.S.-Mexican War was a violent and shattering event for Mexican citizens that lasted from 1846-1848 in what is now the state of Texas. It drastically altered the course of Mexican and American history for years to come. It occurred because of the unsettled disputes about the borders of newly annexed Texas. Once the debilitating battle ended, the United States emerged a world power having acquired more than 500,000 square miles of valuabl e territory. There are many potentially feasible explanationsRead MoreMexican War/US Land and Territory600 Words   |  3 PagesMexican War/US Land and Territory The Mexican American War caused many people to lose lives and could have been avoided. President Polk wanted more land and liked the idea of expanding the US. As a result of the war, the US had acquired more than 525,000 square miles of land. Many historians believe that the Mexican War was an unnecessary attack on a weaker country. The Mexican war had many causes and effects but ultimately Mexico lost. The Mexican American war happened for many reasons. Around