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By Glenn P. Hastedt
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
action channels - Decision-making linkages between organizations and individuals that determine who participates in bureaucratic decision-making games. Important because not everyone “plays” in these games. Players and their power are determined by where they fit in the action channels.
action indispensability - Decision-making situations in which action by policy makers is critical to success or failure. The identity of the actor is not essential because the response was standard and expected.
action policy - U.S. foreign policy as it is actually carried out with respect to a problem. Refers to what is done rather than what is said. Often contrasts with declaratory policy. Originally used in the context of U.S. nuclear policy.
actor indispensability - Decision-making situations in which not only is action by policy makers critical to success or failure, but the identity of the actor is seen as being key to the outcome.
alliance - A formal agreement among states to provide military assistance to each other. Alliances vary in the types of aid offered and the nature of the commitment.
“America first” perspective - A perspective on foreign policy in which priority is given to the interests of American firms over those of other states. Identified with bureaucracies such as the Commerce and Agriculture Departments.
America the Balancer - A possible future strategic orientation of U.S. foreign policy that is based on a limited and selective involvement in world affairs.
American Crusader - A possible future strategic orientation of U.S. foreign policy that is based on the idea that the United States faces real and immediate security threats and has the power and moral responsibility to lead.
analogy - Central method of reasoning in which comparisons are made between events and objects as the basis for making judgments about similarities and differences. Foreign policy often involves comparison of present with past events.
arms control - Policy designed to bring about restraint in the use of weapons. Generally involves reduction in numbers of weapons but does not have to do this. Often contrasted with disarmament.
arms sale - Purchase of weapons by one state from another. The distinguishing feature of arms sales is the quality of the weapons obtained. Unlike in the case of arms transfers, these weapons tend to be among the most preferred in the seller’s inventory.
arms transfer - Process of providing weapons to another state for free or at greatly reduced prices. Typically these weapons are characterized as being excess defense articles or emergency allocations.
assured destruction - Nuclear strategy under Johnson predicated on U.S. ability to destroy a significant portion of the Soviet population and economic capability in retaliation for a Soviet attack on the United States.
bargaining - Process by which two or more states reach agreement on a policy through a process of give and take. It can take place in formal settings or informally. A subtype of negotiations.
barnacles - Riders or amendments that are attached to foreign policy legislation. Often needed to secure its passage, they can result in features being added that complicate the conduct of U.S. diplomacy. Reporting requirements are an example.
bipartisanship - Situation in the domestic politics of American foreign policy where a policy is supported by both political parties. Seen as a sign of national unity and communicates resolve to opponents. It came into use following World War II when the foundations of containment policy were put into place.
bipolar - Characterizes an international system that is conflict prone and divided into two competing and mutually exclusive blocs each led by a superpower. Often subdivided into loose and tight variants depending on the unity of the blocs and the distance separating them. The Cold War was a bipolar system.
black box - Part of the rational actor decision-making perspective. Assumes that foreign policy is a response to actions and events in the international system. Therefore, one does not need to examine domestic politics, and events inside the state can be ignored or black-boxed.
blowback - The negative consequences that result from foreign policy actions. Originally used with reference to CIA covert actions but now applied more generally to foreign policy initiatives.
boycott - A refusal to buy or sell goods from a company or country. Alternatively, a refusal to attend a meeting or negotiations.
Bretton Woods system - International economic order created after World War II consisting of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs. Formally ended in 1974 when Nixon took the United States off the gold standard.
Bricker Amendment - Failed attempt by Congress in the 1950s to limit the president’s ability to use executive agreements in place of treaties as instruments of U.S. foreign policy. It would have required Senate advice and consent to executive agreements before they took effect.
bureaucratic politics - Decision-making model that emphasizes the influence of bureaucratic factors, most notably self-interest. Policy is not decided upon so much as bargained into existence.
chief executive officer (CEO) system - Presidential management system introduced by George W. Bush that emphasizes the importance of providing overall direction to policy and selecting qualified individuals and then removing oneself from the day-to-day affairs of governing.
civil-military relations - The overarching relationship between professional military officers and civilian policy makers. Involves issues such as who has ultimate authority, the values to be pursued, and political neutrality.
closed belief system - A belief system is a set of interrelated mental images about some aspect of reality. A closed belief system is one that does not change in spite of contradictory evidence. Contrasts with an open belief system.
CNN effect - Phrase designed to convey increased importance of the media for determining the foreign policy agenda of the United States by its ability to arouse and shape public opinion and force policy makers to respond quickly to unfolding events.
coalitions - Informal alignments of states that come together out of self-interest to deal with a specific problem. Common forms include voting blocs at an international organization and combinations of military forces such as those in the Persian Gulf War and the Iraq War.
coercive diplomacy - Use or threatened use of force against another state for political purposes. Typically refers to military force but can include economic force. Purposes can include deterrence and compellence.
cognitive consistency - The tendency of individuals to seek out information and stimuli that are supportive of their beliefs and attitudes.
collegial system - Presidential management system that emphasizes cooperation, teamwork, and problem solving as primary values for top presidential aides and department heads.
compellence - Use or threat of using military force to prompt another state to undertake a desired action. Contrasts with deterrence in which force is used or threatened to prevent an action from taking place.
competitive system - Presidential management system that emphasizes playing off aides against one another and assigning the same task to multiple units in order to maximize information flow and freedom of maneuver.
conference diplomacy - Category of diplomacy that focuses on large international gatherings that are generally open to all states. Typically they focus on a single problem or issue and attempt to lay down rules for addressing the problem. Differs from summit diplomacy where only a few states attend.
constructivism - A theoretical perspective for studying international relations that emphasizes the subjectivity of actions. Emphasis is placed on understanding how the developments are viewed by the participants by examining ideas, culture, history, and the dynamics of interaction.
containment - U.S. policy toward the Soviet Union for much of the Cold War. Predicated on the assumption that the potential for Soviet aggression was constant but could be checked by applying constant counterpressure to thwart it. Over time, this policy was expected to produce a mellowing of Soviet foreign policy.
counterinsurgency (COIN) - The military strategy for fighting an insurgency, which is defined as an armed rebellion against a recognized government. The military strategy counterinsurgency also contains political, economic, and psychological dimensions.
counterproliferation - Military strategy designed to prevent the spread of weapons. Most frequently talked about in the context of weapons of mass destruction, it can be seen as a preemptive use of force.
country team - Comprises the representatives from all U.S. agencies represented in an embassy, headed by the ambassador. It is meant to signify that a united purpose exists to U.S. foreign policy in the country.
covert action - Activities to influence military, economic, and political conditions abroad, where it is intended that the role of the U.S. government not be apparent.
cyber warfare - A variety of attacks on computer and information systems for the purpose of causing damage or destruction through such means as computer viruses or denial-of-service attacks.
declaratory policy - Public statements of U.S. foreign policy with regard to a problem. Refers to what is said rather than what is done. Often contrasted with action policy. Originally used in the context of U.S. nuclear policy.
denuclearization - Process by which a state that has acquired or is pursuing a nuclear weapon reverses course and agrees to forgo it.
détente - Foreign policy associated with Nixon. Rather than containing the Soviet Union, it sought to establish a working relationship by treating it as a legitimate power and engaging it in a series of mutually beneficial arms control and economic relationships that would reduce its threat to the United States, thus making global conflicts more manageable.
deterrence - The use of power to prevent an unwanted action from taking place. Most frequently it refers to the use of military power, and in the context of the Cold War, the nuclear standoff between the United States and the Soviet Union.
digital diplomacy - The use of the internet and information and communication technologies such as social media and Twitter to achieve diplomatic objectives.
disarmament - Policy designed to reduce the number of weapons in existence. May be applied to specific weapons or to inventories in general. Logical endpoint is zero weapons but need not necessarily reach this point. Often contrasted with arms control.
Disengaged America - A possible future strategic orientation of U.S. foreign policy that is based on minimal global engagement and learning to live in a second-best world.
economic statecraft - The use of economic resources and tools to achieve foreign policy goals.
elite theory - Decision-making model that stresses the overwhelming influence of economic class and ideology on policy. Contrasts with pluralism, arguing that there does not exist a system of checks and balances among competing interests.
embargo - A prohibition of selling goods or services to another country.
empire - A hierarchically structured grouping of states ruled from one power center. It is debated whether or not the U.S. position of dominance in the world qualifies it to be an empire. Similarly, it is debated how long the U.S. empire, if it exists, can survive.
executive agreement - Arrangements entered into with other countries by the president that are not subject to a congressional vote. The Supreme Court has ruled that executive agreements hold force of law as do treaties.
falling dominoes - Term associated with the Cold War, it denotes the possibility that a U.S. foreign policy failure in a given country or military engagement may set off a chain reaction leading to the fall of many states, resulting in a major national security crisis.
fast track - Today known as trade promotional authority. Voted on by Congress for set periods of time, it gives the president the authority to enter into international trade negotiations, guarantees a prompt vote by Congress, and limits Congress’s ability to modify treaties that come before it.
firewall - A blockage or separation that is intended to stop the spread of a dangerous condition. In warfare, it is often used to signify attempts to create a dividing line between conventional and nuclear weapons.
flexible response - Nuclear strategy under Kennedy that called for a wide range of military responses, including a variety of nuclear options to deal with Soviet challenges.
Foreign Service officer - Professional diplomatic corps of the United States. Has been controversial at times for its values and degree of separation from American society as a whole.
formalistic system - Presidential management system that employs strict hierarchical decision-making structure on decision-making processes.
free trade - International economic policy based on the principle of the open and nondiscriminatory flow of goods across borders. Achieved through the removal of government-imposed barriers to trade.
gadfly - A congressional orientation to foreign policy in which an individual raises concerns about the direction of U.S. foreign policy not out of an interest in short-term electoral gains but with an eye toward affecting the long-term direction of policy.
gatekeeper - An individual who determines the types of information and which individuals have access to a policy maker. Gatekeepers are crucial to establishing effective decision-making routines and yet also a liability because they can distort the information on which policy is made.
generational events - Those highly visible and psychologically significant events that influence the worldview of a generation of individuals, whether they were experienced directly or not. The Great Depression, Pearl Harbor, and Vietnam are often given as examples.
globalization - Refers to the process of the growing pace and density of economic, political, and cultural interactions in international affairs. Viewed by some in a positive light as a force that unites peoples; others see it as a threatening condition that fosters conflict among people and countries.
grand strategy - Overarching conceptual framework for integrating and applying all elements of power. Establishes the general direction, purposes, and logic of U.S. foreign policy. Often associated with presidential doctrines.
groupthink - Common consequence of small-group decision-making dynamics. Concurrence-seeking behavior on the part of group members causes them to reach fundamentally flawed decisions.
guerrilla war - Unconventional war strategy that emphasizes hit-and-run tactics and prolonged warfare rather than direct engagement of enemy forces in decisive battles. Ultimate objective is to get government to overreact and lose support of the people.
hard power - The power to coerce. Generally associated with military power. It seeks to impose an outcome on an opponent.
hedging strategy - A foreign policy strategy in which the United States acts cautiously to ensure that the failure of no single initiative can inflict great harm on U.S. national interests. It requires keeping open lines of communication with all states and not locking the United States into an all-or-nothing situation.
hegemony - Domineering and uncontested leadership that is rooted in the political, economic, and military ability to impose one’s will on others. Often used to characterize the position of the dominant state in a unipolar system and the U.S. position in the world after the end of the Cold War.
hybrid warfare - A form of warfare that employs a combination of conventional and unconventional military strategies along with informational and other nonmilitary resources and societal resources to achieve victory.
imperialism - A foreign policy of domination in which one state controls the people, resources, and political activity in other states generally by military force. Critics of U.S. foreign policy have often argued that it has been imperialist in dealings with developing countries.
intermestic - Foreign policy problems that contain both domestic and foreign policy dimensions, thus complicating efforts to solve them and defy the traditional dichotomy of foreign versus domestic policy.
internationalism - An orientation to world affairs that stresses the importance of taking an active role in global decision making in order to protect and promote national security and economic prosperity. Can be undertaken both in the pursuit of liberal or conservative goals.
Iraq syndrome - Much speculated on possible negative public reaction to U.S. involvement in Iraq that will prevent policy makers from using force in the future, just as Vietnam syndrome did in the 1970s.
isolationism - An orientation to world affairs that stresses the dangers of global involvement rather than its benefits. Strong defenses and unilateral action are seen as necessary to protect the national interest. A sharp distinction is drawn between the national interest and the global interest.
legalism - Part of the American national style. The belief that foreign policy problems can be solved through the application of legal formulas and principles.
legislative veto - A situation where Congress repeals presidential action or the decision of a federal agency by writing legislation so that it can be overridden by a majority of one or both Houses. Contained in the War Powers Resolution.
Lippmann gap - The difference between a country’s power resources and the goals it wishes to achieve. Named after political columnist Walter Lippmann, who argued that the larger this gap, the greater the likelihood that U.S. foreign policy would fail.
massive retaliation - Nuclear strategy under Eisenhower that sought to deter Soviet aggression throughout the world by threatening a large-scale retaliatory strike on the Soviet Union.
military after next - Phrase used to describe the need to think beyond immediate problems and focus on long-term bureaucratic requirements of U.S. foreign policy. Can also be “State Department after next” or “CIA after next.”
military-industrial complex - A phrase used in Eisenhower’s farewell presidential address. Most narrowly used, it speaks to the unchecked influence of industry lobbyists and allies in the military to obtain funds for weapons systems and militarize American foreign policy.
models - A simplified depictions of a complex process or structure used to generate insights into their nature. May be mathematical or descriptive.
moral pragmatism - Part of the American national style. Brings together the belief that foreign policy ought to be driven by the pursuit of principles and that they can be solved by applying an engineering problem-solving logic.
multipolar - Characterizes an international system in which there are at least five major powers. No permanent dividing line separates them into competing blocs; rather, the major states enter into a series of shifting alliances to preserve national interests. Nineteenth-century Europe is seen as a multipolar period.
national interest - The fundamental goals and objectives of a state’s foreign policy. Used as if it were self-explanatory, it is a contested concept that holds great emotional power in political debates.
national style - Refers to deeply engrained patterns of thought and action on how to approach foreign policy problems and their solutions. More generally, it establishes the basis for how a country looks out at the international system and defines its role in world politics.
negotiation - Broadly defined as a dialogue to resolve disputes. This result may be achieved through mediation, fact finding, or bargaining. On occasion, negotiations are entered into by states not to solve problems but to gain an advantage through obtaining information or the publicity it generates.
neoliberalism - A theoretical perspective for studying international relations that stresses the ability of states to cooperate, solve problems, and defend their interests peacefully. Emphasis is placed on the importance of mutually beneficial economic interactions, the peaceful effects of democracy, and the importance of international laws and organizations.
noise - Background clutter of irrelevant or misleading data that complicates the task of policy makers trying to identify important pieces of information or signals that will help them formulate policy.
nontariff barrier - A nontax barrier to free trade. Generally takes the form of requirements to ship national vessels, purchase goods in a specific country of origin, or meet safety and health or environmental standards imposed on goods and their production.
opportunity costs - In conducting foreign policy, states are faced with the reality of limited time and limited resources. The pursuit of any objective necessarily comes at the expense of pursuing other goals that now must be neglected.
Ordinary State - A possible future strategic orientation of U.S. foreign policy that is based on the presumption that the United States has no greater responsibility for maintaining global order than does any other state.
outsource - To rely on nongovernmental or private-sector agencies to carry out assigned tasks. Found throughout foreign policy area. Became controversial with large-scale use of private contractors during the Iraq War.
oversight - Congressional regulatory supervision of the federal bureaucracy. The stated objective is not day-to-day managerial control but ensuring accountability of decisions made and improving performance.
paramilitary - Operations carried out by forces or groups distinct from the professional military for which no broad conventional military capability exists. They are often carried out in hostile, politically sensitive, or denied areas.
peacekeeping - Operations conducted in postconflict areas to observe the peace process and implement peace agreements. Although not exclusively military in nature, peacekeeping operations generally build upon a significant military presence in the country affected.
pledge system - Form of international cooperation in which countries promise voluntarily to support an agreement. No enforcement mechanism is created.
pluralism - Decision-making model that sees policy as the result of competing interest groups. The government is often pictured as a neutral umpire making policy to reflect the position of the strongest groups.
policy entrepreneur - A congressional orientation to foreign policy whereby the individual takes positions on foreign policy legislation primarily with an eye toward the electoral advantage it might bestow rather than a long-range concern for the issue itself.
poliheuristic decision making - A model of decision making that emphasizes the presence of a two-stage decision-making process, only the second of which involves engaging in an analysis of options.
political creep - The tendency for political criteria and considerations to replace professional ones in the assignment of personnel to positions within the foreign policy bureaucracy. Once identified with the appointment of political fund-raisers to ambassadorships, it is now also an issue at lower levels of bureaucracies.
politicizing intelligence - Situation where professional expertise and objectivity of intelligence reports is replaced by partisan political considerations. Associated with phrases such as intelligence-to-please and cherry-picking.
positional issues - Refers to foreign policy issues in elections that find candidates taking opposite sides. The dominant logic of primary campaigns. A frequent result is to oversimplify issues.
Pragmatic America - A possible future strategic orientation of U.S. foreign policy that is based on the view that rapid changes in world politics make it inadvisable for U.S. foreign policy to be guided by a broad set of principles. Instead, it should focus on the particulars of each situation as they arise.
preemption - Striking first in self-defense. In classical usage, a distinction is drawn between preemption, which occurs when the threat is immediate, and prevention, when it is more long term or generic.
presidential finding - Mandated by the Hughes-Ryan Amendment, it requires that, except under exceptional circumstances, presidents inform key members of Congress in advance of the scope of CIA operations.
presidential personality - Refers to those traits of the president that are important for understanding how he defines problems and solutions as well as his outlook on the use of presidential power.
proliferation - Spread of weapons. Two different versions exist. Horizontal, in which weapons spread to additional countries, and vertical, in which case, the inventories of states already possessing the weapon grow larger.
prospect theory - Decision-making model that sees policy makers as far more willing to take risks to defend what they have than to pursue new goals and objectives.
proxy war - War fought on behalf of another state that does not actively participate in the war itself. Typically associated with a smaller or regional ally fighting on behalf of a major power.
public diplomacy - Diplomatic activity that is directed at the public at large in a target state. Contrasts with classical diplomacy, which is conducted in secret and involves government-to-government relations. Based on the belief that the public can influence the foreign policy decisions of adversaries.
public goods - Policy benefits that are not the object of competition among states and cannot be possessed by a state or group of states and denied to all others. Often characterized as goals that are in the global interest, such as a clean environment, absence of disease, or a stable international economic order.
Quadrennial Defense Review - Congressionally mandated four years of U.S. defense strategy. Used to identify scenarios that might confront the United States and forces that might be needed to meet that threat. In practice, it has often been largely a symbolic exercise.
quota - Quantitative restriction placed on the amount of goods allowed to enter a country from another country.
rally-around-the-flag effect - Tendency for public opinion to coalesce and support the president’s foreign policy position in times of crisis. Reflects both the power of the presidency and media to shape public opinion as well as the lack of in-depth knowledge that many Americans have on foreign policy matters.
ratify - To give approval. Treaties in the United States are ratified by the president after the Senate has given its advice and consent by a two-thirds majority.
rational actor - Decision-making model that stresses foreign policy; it should be viewed as a deliberate and calculated response to external events and actions. Values are identified, options are listed, and a choice is made that best ensures that the most important values will be realized.
realism - A theoretical perspective for studying international relations that emphasizes the struggle for power carried out under conditions of anarchy. Conflict and competition are seen as permanent features of world politics. Security, not peace, is the central objective of foreign policy.
Reformed America - A possible future strategic orientation of U.S. foreign policy that is based on the belief that the time is appropriate to give preference to traditional American values over narrowly defined security interests in dealing with global problems.
reporting requirement - A statement added onto legislation requiring periodic reports by implementing agencies or the president on the status of a situation. They have been used by Congress as a means of keeping up the pressure on presidents to carry out foreign policy according to its wishes. Generally, escape hatches are included to give presidents freedom to act.
Revolution in Military Affairs - Term used to capture the transformational power that modern information and communication technology were expected to have in the conduct of military campaigns. Widely used in U.S. defense planning and weapons procurement decisions after the Persian Gulf War. Now challenged by new emphasis on counterinsurgency warfare.
rogue states - States that are considered to be threats to the peace and stability of the international system due to their refusal to act in accordance with global rules and norms.
sanctions - Penalties or other means of enforcement used to create incentives for countries to act in accordance with policy edicts of the sanctioning state. Typically involves the use of economic instruments of foreign policy.
shock and awe - Massive bombing campaign used by United States in opening of Iraq War. Designed as much to psychologically intimidate an enemy as to defeat it on the battlefield. Associated with military logic of Revolution in Military Affairs.
shuttle diplomacy - negotiations or talks mediated by a third party who travels frequently between the counties that are involved in the dispute.
signal - Piece of information that will help policy makers formulate policy. Often difficult to identify because of the presence of noise that masks their presence and significance.
signing statement - Comments made by the president when signing legislation into law and used to identify which parts of the legislation he objects to and will not enforce. Effectively allows the president to veto certain parts of a bill without having to veto the entire bill.
smart sanctions - Penalties or other measures that are targeted on specific groups or individuals in a target state. Adopted out of a concern that sanctions, particularly economic sanctions, unfairly punish all individuals in a society rather than just those engaging in the disputed behaviors.
soft power - The power to influence and persuade. It attracts others to one side rather than forcing them to support a cause, as is the case with hard power. Often associated with diplomacy, positive economic incentives, and, more generally, the attraction of American culture, ideas, and values.
sovereignty - The principle that no power exists above the state. The state alone decides what goals to pursue and how to pursue them. Its relevance as an absolute standard is questioned by many in today’s world of globalization, terrorism, and large-scale power inequalities among states.
spiral of silence - Tendency for those holding minority views to remain silent when they fail to see the media report stories that support their position. Results in an exaggerated sense of national unity.
stability operations - Military operations undertaken to restore and maintain order and stability in regions or states where a competent civil authority no longer functions.
standard operating procedures - Central part of bureaucratic politics model. States that policy is implemented not with an eye to the particulars of a situation or problem but in a routine and predictable fashion, with the result that policies often fail to achieve their intended purpose.
sufficiency - Nuclear strategy under Nixon that emphasized strategic equality with the Soviet Union and the possession of a minimum retaliatory threat.
summit conference - Category of diplomacy that involves meetings of the heads of government of a small number of states. Popularized during World War II and the Cold War. They are now less negotiating sessions and more occasions to sign agreements reached in other settings.
tariff - Tax on foreign products coming into a country. May be put in place to raise revenue, protect domestic industries from foreign competition, or punish another state.
terrorism - Violence employed for purposes of political intimidation. It may be employed in the support of any set of goals and carried out by nonstate actors or state agencies. It may exist as a strategy in its own right or as the first stage in a larger guerrilla war conflict.
think tanks - Generic phrase used to describe organizations that engage in policy analysis and advocacy. They may be nonprofits, represent corporate interests, or be funded by governments.
tipping point - Term used to describe foreign policy issues in which elite and public opinion are so divided that a shift in public opinion holds the potential for changing the direction of policy.
trade promotional authority - Once known as fast-track authority. Voted on by Congress for set periods of time, it gives the president the authority to enter into international trade negotiations, guarantees a prompt vote by Congress, and limits Congress’s ability to modify treaties that come before it.
unilateral president - View of presidential power that emphasizes strength rather than weakness. By acting unilaterally to make policy statements, create organizations, appoint individuals to key positions, and take action, the president is seen as able to dominate the political agenda and outmaneuver Congress and the courts, placing them in a reactive position.
unilateralism - Part of the American national style. It is an orientation to action that emphasizes the value of going it alone. When cooperation with others is needed, it must be carried out on one’s own terms and with a minimal level of commitment to joint action.
unipolar - Characterizes an international system in which one power dominates over all others. No balancing or competing bloc exists. Rare at the international level, it has been more common at the regional level such as in Latin America and East Europe. Some see the contemporary international system as unipolar.
valence issues - Refers to electoral foreign policy issues that find all candidates taking the same side. Common in general elections. For voters, the choice becomes not what position to endorse but who they think is best capable of achieving the agreed-upon outcome.
Vietnam syndrome - Refers to what many interpreted as the primary lesson of Vietnam. The perception that the American public will not again support long-term military engagements that result in the substantial loss of American lives. Consequently, any military action must be quick and decisive.
War Powers Resolution - The major Cold War attempt by Congress to limit a president’s ability to use military force without its approval. Its constitutionality has never been tested. No president has officially recognized its binding nature on their decision-making power.
weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) - Overarching term used to describe nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons. Radiological weapons and delivery systems are also often included in the definition. During the Cold War, the term related almost exclusively to nuclear weapons.
Wilsonianism - A set of foreign policy ideas associated with Woodrow Wilson. The core essence of these ideas is contested. Generally seen as foundational is the notion that the United States has a moral and national security obligation to spread democracy and create a liberal international order.
window of fear - The onset of a set of short-term conditions that lead policy makers rationally to conclude that military action needs to be taken, regardless of how small the prospects of victory are, because conditions will only get worse in the future.
window of opportunity - The onset of short-term conditions that lead policy makers rationally to conclude that military actions needs to be undertaken because they possess a clear and distinct military advantage over the enemy.
yellow journalism - Phrase used to characterize media coverage of foreign policy that stresses a provocative, overly dramatic, and sensationalistic treatment of events over measured reporting and a concern for factual accuracy.
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