U.S. Diplomatic Relations

     The U.S. maintains diplomatic relations with foreign countries because it has become increasingly interdependent on them in a globalized society.  There are many benefits to having good diplomatic relations, including economic, strategic, and political ones.  Economically, foreign countries provide abundant settings for investors.  Cheap labor can be exported, while natural resources and foreign products can be imported based on trade negotiations.  Strategically, good diplomatic relations are important for maintaining alliances that help defend our people and our ideologies.  Politically, good relations are important in securing our position as the leading democracy in the world.  If we disrupt those relations, we are seen in a less positive light and do not set a good example for developing nations.

    The U.S. offers foreign assistance to countries overseas for many reasons.  Some of the biggest are ensuring that civil rights are being observed through the assistance of IGOs; securing stable locations for foreign investment and trade; and responding to constructivist expectations that reinforce our position as the premier democratic superpower.  Regional problems affect the global community in many ways, which the U.S. is not immune from.  Migration, climate change, war, famine, and disease are several examples where coordinated efforts in a foreign assistance can mitigate an international crisis, ultimately benefitting all nations, not just the U.S. Finally, humanitarian aid is a moral imperative we have, for the many millions of people living in poverty and other hardships (Nolan).  By showing we care and acting on it, we establish good leadership by encouraging peace and harmony.

    Some methods are effective; others are not.  Sanctions have shown some effectiveness, but not always (Trenin, 2015).  Tariffs are generally counterproductive because countries are free to negotiate elsewhere.  Negative punishments like these have a tendency to alienate other countries, generate distrust, and sow seeds of hostility.  Better methods are fair negotiations, foreign aid, accepting refugees, and setting a good example by following through on treaties.  The U.S. has not always done this, but in general our methods are effective because we still influence more countries than any other.

 

Nolan, Sara Nitz.  U.S. Foreign Assistance 101.  Interaction.org.  Retrieved November 25, 2021, https://www.interaction.org/aid-delivers/foreign-assistance-overview/u-s-foreign-assistance-101/

Trenin, Dmitri.  2015.  How Effective are Economic Sanctions?  Retrieved November 25, 2021, https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/02/how-effective-are-economic-sanctions/