Is This How a Superpower Works?

1. Is This How a Superpower Works?

2. From Founding to the 2012 ElectionOutline • How The US Chose to Do Foreign Affairs • Being a Superpower • What Next for the US?

3. Jay-Gardoqui Treaty

4. Jay-Gardoqui Treaty • Conceded Spain the right to charge transshipment fees for goods coming down Mississippi River at New Orleans • Begun under Articles of Confederation but never ratified • Convinced southerners and westerners that East Coast elites would sell them out

5. The Constitution Concessions to southerners on slavery and treaty -making

6. Congress and Foreign Affairs: Stated Powers in Constitution • “to regulate Commerce with foreign Nations” • “to declare War” • Approve treaties by 2/3 vote in Senate • Approve ‘officers’ of the US government by Senate vote

7. Congress and Foreign Affairs:Implied Powers • Initiate bills for raising revenue

8. The President and Foreign Affairs Constitution • Stated powers: • “make treaties” (but only with Senate approval) • Implied powers: • Commander in Chief of the army and navy • Exercise “executive Power”

9. “An Invitation to Struggle”[for control of foreign affairs]-Edwin Corwin, constitutional scholar Congress – raises money for army and navy every 2 years and for government operations approves officers of government approves treaties BUT President – “executive Power” - What does this mean?

10. Many Silences in the Constituiton • Who says a war is over? • Who can recognize a country, recall an ambassador or break relations? • Where/when do Commander in Chief powers end?

11. Few Supreme Court Cases on Foreign Affairs • Missouri v. Holland, 1919 • Allows executive agreements if treaty fails • US v. Belmont Bank, 1933 • ‘Executive power’ given broad interpretation • US v. Curtiss-Wright, 1936 • President ‘sole spokesman’ on foreign affairs

12. Summary Framed in the 18th Century, provisions for conducting foreign affairs by a small self-isolated seaboard republic have never been significantly re-designed or modified.

13. US as Superpower The United States is the only country that ever became the world’s dominant power without trying to do so. - Andre Malraux

14. 1945 – US becomes World’s Leading Power • Sole nuclear power • Navy equals rest of world navies combined • Only strategic bomber force • Only industrial plant undamaged by war

15. US in the World 1945 Onward • UN Headquarters in New York • ‘Bretton Woods’ controls world economy with US Dollar as global currency • English becomes ‘lingua franca’ • “soft power”

16. Americans and being a Superpower 90% of all Americans alive today have never known a time when the USA was not the world’s leading power: economic, military, diplomatic, or cultural.

17. US Acting as Superpower • Foreign policy from magazine article [‘Containment’ strategy first outlined in Foreign Affairs article, Spring 1947] • Demonize adversaries – Cold war is good vs. evil • Technology advances preserve status and economic advantage

18. Early 1990s – The Zenith • Pres. George H. W. Bush’s ‘New World Order” speech in Aspen, Colorado, 1991 • Fukuyama’s “End of History,” 1992 book • Pentagon: Sec’y Dick Cheney and Paul Wolfowitz argue for US ‘unipolar moment’

19. Challenges to the ‘Hyperpower’ • Rise of the EU • Non-state militants strike at West • Rise of China • Globalization of workforces and spread of technology

20. Superpowerdom: Not What it Used To Be • ‘BRIC’ countries seeking new paths • Crisis in world financial systems • Intractability of Israel isolates US at UN • Costs of ‘policing’ world loom larger

21. Summary The US became a superpower by default but now the costs have overwhelmed a government and foreign affairs establishment not designed for imperial reach and disillusioned the public who must pay for it all.

22. A New Path for America?The 2012 Election • Americans sense a loss of their dominating influence in the world • This unarticulated unease leads to a search for clear answers - from anywhere • Extreme partisanship tends to satisfy psychological need for certainty

23. The 2012 Presidential ElectionDramatis Personae • The President versus • Searchers for Tea Party support

24. Barack Obama • The economy • Jobs • Foreign Policy? Not a factor except for perceived support for Israel

25. The Tea Party and Its Hopefuls • Conservative, anti-elite, libertarian • Defeat of Obama most important goal • End health insurance, aid to states, etc. Boston Tea Party, 1773

26. Women’s Tea PartyNorth Carolina, 1774 – 1st political action by women in North America Cartoon in London newspaper

27. Sarah Palin • Sometime Governor of Alaska (she quit) • Not (yet) a declared candidate • Shadows all debates and nominating activities

28. Rick Perry • Longest-serving Governor of Texas • 235 executions (so far) • Derides all liberals and Massachusetts

29. Mitt Romney • One term Governor of Massachusetts • Businessman • Supported health care bill in Massachusetts that was model for Obama’s bill

30. Michelle Bachman • Representative from Minnesota (R) • Won early poll in Iowa • Has a ‘challenged’ sense of US history

31. Ron Paul • Congressman form Texas (R) • Strict isolationist • Against any raise in taxes • American ‘exceptionalism’ - we are God’s example to the world

32. Othersleads anti-tax movement almost invisible candidate Grover Norquist “Americans for Tax Reform” 146 Congressmen have pledged never to raise taxes Jon Huntsman US Ambassador to China (only candidate with foreign affairs experience)

33. Herman Cain • Pizza mogul • Arch-conservative • Evangelical Christian

34. Chris Christie • Governor of New Jersey • Undeclared as yet • Much pressure to enter race

35. Summary • A return to some form of populist politics seems inevitable • Multilateralism from US will decline • Support for Israel will be unabated • Surprise – the wealthy will do well