Analysis of U.S. Foreign Policy - Essay Example

1. Introduction The United States of America claims that her democratization policy in Middle East is governed by four goals. Thegoals include helping countries in the Middle East to build not only a unified and prosperous country, but also making those countries prosperous. The other goal is to help Palestine and Israel in solving their conflict, to combat the success of terrorists as well as preventing the spread of armaments of mass destruction. She also claims that democratization of countries in the Middle East will boost the efforts put by their respective citizenson economic and political reforms. The U.S. democratization policy was introduced and effected by President Bush in 2005 after his administration realized that the U.S. support of non-democratic leaders contributed to terrorism. This paper will detail on how presidency, interest groups, the news media as well as the international distribution of power has made democracy policy to be what it is in Middle East. 2. Interest groups The American interests directed to the Middle East are not national interests. The interests of some groups such as small energy companies, banks and well paid lobbyists do not in any way present the interests of the majority of the Americans who constitute of working class individuals from all social groups. In most occasions, the ruling groups portray their own interests as national interests. The ruling elites have evident interests in the Middle East that they have been pursuing for almost a century. Those interests can be referred to as imperialist interests because they center on Middle East’s energy resources(Epstein, Miko and Serafino 7). In advocating democracy in Middle East, America aims at preventing the rise of popular movements that may threaten her control of that region’s natural resources. She also uses the foreign policy to increase the number of her military in the region so as to have effective control of almost all activities. News media All corporate media in the U.S. as well as international media contribute significantly to making the U.S. foreign policy in Middle East to be what it is. For instance, it is evident that the corporate media in the U.S. carry out their roles in favor of the government policies. The media in the U.S. portray this by barring the Americans from acquiring accurate information and understanding on all the activities carried out by their government in Middle East and other parts of the world(Jentleson 567). The media are part of the established corporate, and as a result of this, it is evident that they will not change. They will never provide any information on how the U.S. is being driven by her own objectives in Middle East; demand for energy sources. Thus, it is evident that the U.S. democracy policy to the Middle East will remain the way it is so long as news media continue supporting the American foreign policies. The Presidency Under the Constitution of America, the President serves as the head of state as well as the head of the government. As the head of state, the President is the personification of the U.S. H e or she is the official voice and the primary representative of the state to the outside world. As defined in the Constitution, the President formulates foreign policy, oversees its implementation and calls for resources to support it. Additionally, he organizes along directing departments responsible for the implementation of the policy(Epstein, Miko and Serafino 11). From this, we can deduce that the U.S. Democratic policy to Middle East is as a result of the implementation of the role of the President as the representative of the state. Additionally, it is the responsibility of the President to pursue the national interests of his state. As a result of this, President Bush advocated the practice of Democracy in Middle East so as to enhance the U.S. pursue its goals. For instance, President Bush believed that promoting democracy in Middle East will aid the U.S. and the whole win war on terror. Congress The Congress also plays a very significant role in the formulation of programs and policies. In addition to carrying out its oversight role, the Congress also appropriates funds that enhance the success of the America’s foreign policies. It is also the Congress that authorizes programs before they are effected. In authorizing the implementation of certain policy, the Congress tries to find out when, where, and how the suggested policy will be applied in order to get the desired results as well as utilize the taxpayer’s dollar effectively. For instance, from the 101st Congress to the first session of the 110th Congress, many pieces of legislation were discussed and passed to allow and appropriate funds for domestic promotion in different countries, and to enforce governments of non-democratic countries to effect democratization. 3. Under George Bush’s leadership, promotion of democracy was widely discredited via its close relationship with Iraq war. Only a minority of the Americans supported democracy promotion as one of the U.S. policies. The promotion of democracy also led to the internal division between Republican and Democratic parties. The contributions of Bush policy on democracy were also sparse in Middle East; the “Baghdad Spring” remained stuck in authoritarian rule. Majority of the people from the affected countries in Middle East did not believe in the spread of democracy; the democratic reversals outweighed gains. This is evidenced by how incomplete democratic transitions increased the chance of international war in the most affected countries. At times, the most affected countries initiate cross-border attacks or are attacked if their democratic institutions are weak. “Some countries also view democracy as inappropriately interfering in the domestic politics of foreign countries, often producing a backlash (sometimes citing Russia)against the organizations –both foreign and domestic- that carry them” (Epstein, Miko and Serafino13). Additionally, Palestinian Territories held elections of anti-American governments. Effects of democratization policy on the affected countries Democratization led to the establishment of democratic system in many countries that lacked the facilitating factors such as high level of economic development and strong-identity based societal divisions. Unfortunately, majority of these countries have tried to make democratization work without success; they have ended up in a gray zone between dictatorship and democracy. The counter of U.S. political influence in Middle East states have also led to the surging of oil and gas prices.The policy has also led to the undermining of the American Presidency. The failure of it in majority of the countries in Middle East has led to people considering the American President weak and indecisive. Work Cited Epstein, Susan, Miko, F. and Serafino, Nina.Democracy Promotion: Cornerstone ofU.S. Foreign Policy?Congressional Research Service. 2007. Jentleson, Bruce. American Foreign Policy: The Dynamics of Choice in the 21st Century (Fifth Edition). New York: W. W. Norton, 2013. Print. Read More