Democratic Views On Foreign Policy

By

Foreign policy is an incredibly contentious issue between parties. Democratic views on foreign policy include a generous foreign aid policy, giving aid to distressed countries. This is based heavily on a Forward Engagement based foreign policy, meaning addressing problems early before they become crises and having the forces to deal with these threats as soon after their emergence as possible. Democrats also believe in fostering international institutions, such as the UN, and reforming these institutions to better serve the needs of their members. They believe in enhancing relationships with Asian countries, as well as pursuing humanitarian goals in Africa. Democrats also strive to work with the International Labor Organization to close the gap between rich and poor nations. Altogether, Democrats hold foreign policy views that encourage interaction with foreign countries and mutual support amongst those countries.

Importance of International Institutions

The 2012 Democratic Party Platform states, “International institutions—most prominently the United Nations—have been a centerpiece of international order since the mid-20th century. And just as American leadership was essential to forging the architecture for international cooperation after WWII, the President and the Democratic Party are committed to modernizing its infrastructure for the 21st century—working to reform international bodies and strengthen national and multilateral capabilities to advance peace, security, and opportunity. We have restored America’s leadership at the UN by cooperating with our partners there when we can and respectfully disagreeing with them when we must, reversing the previous administration’s disdain for the UN. The President’s leadership at the UN has enabled us to make real progress on a number of top national security priorities, including getting Russia and China on board to implement the toughest UN sanctions ever on Iran and North Korea.” Democrats still believe in this cooperation within international institutions, and strongly believe that President Trump is damaging the hard work the Obama administration did to repair these relationships. In particular, the cooperation that the Obama administration fostered with China has been largely destroyed, and Democrats see this as immensely harmful to the United States, especially economically.

Foreign Policy in Asia

While Democrats believe in a foreign policy that focuses on strengthening relationships across Asia, their efforts tend to focus more strongly on China than on many other countries. Democrats strongly believe in a good working partnership with China, stating, “We must better engage with China to secure Chinese adherence to international trade, non-proliferation and human rights standards.” As part of the efforts to secure a beneficial relationship with China, Democrats largely believe in a “One China” policy. However, they also believe in supporting resolutions to conflicts that are “consistent with the wishes and best interests of the Taiwanese people.”

In regards to relations with the rest of Asia, Democrats state, “We must maintain our strong relationship with Japan, and explore new ways to cooperate further. And we will actively seek to enhance relations with our historic ally South Korea in order to advance our collaborative efforts on economic and security issues. We must also work with our friends, India and Pakistan, in their efforts to resolve longstanding differences.”

Foreign Policy In Africa

Democrats believe strongly in the U.S. providing aid to Africa, particularly to address health issues. They believe that aiding Africa with addressing the HIV/AIDS pandemic is not only a humanitarian effort but is also in the best interest of the U.S., stating, “the HIV/AIDS pandemic in southern and eastern Africa is a massive human tragedy and a security risk of the highest order that threatens to plunge nations into chaos.” Democrats also believe in providing aid to Africa that will help end the starvation that is prominent in many countries. Many Democrats hope that an alleviation of this issue may also alleviate other crises within Africa. They believe that the U.N. should be involved in this concern, stating, “we must also work with the UN and Africa’s regional organizations to address Africa’s persistent, disproportionate share of the world’s weak, failing states and chronic armed conflicts, and to promote effective relief efforts when there is a humanitarian crisis.”

Foreign Policy In Latin America

Democrats aim to have an amicable foreign policy in Latin America, providing aid more for governmental concerns than for humanitarian and health reasons. First and foremost, Democrats believe that aiding Latin America keeps the U.S. on good terms with its regional neighbors. They also hope that by aiding countries that are making efforts to build democratic governments we are fostering the spread of democracy throughout the world, stating, “we are committed to strong and steady support for democratic processes and institutions in our hemisphere. We believe that democratic governments deserve our support, and that we should exercise our considerable diplomatic and moral force in support of democratically elected leaders.” Democrats like to keep nations that have made efforts to democratize their governments a priority when determining where foreign aid money would be best spent.

Hillary Clinton on Foreign Policy

When it comes to foreign policy, foreign aid in particular is a cause that Hillary Clinton holds close to her heart, especially as a former Secretary of State. She has spoken out adamantly against Republicans who believe that the foreign aid budget would be better spent elsewhere and explained how she believes that helping other countries come into their own can actually fuel the U.S. economy, stating “the 1 percent of our budget we spend on all diplomacy and development is not what is driving our deficit. Not only can we afford to maintain a strong civilian presence, we cannot afford not to… As we help these nations meet their own challenges and grow their own economies, their men and women will buy their first cars, their first computers, and everything from movies to medical equipment. And many new consumers will buy them from us.” Clinton has stated that she would have loved to see an increase in the foreign aid budget when she was Secretary of State, and that she believes it is necessary to increase this budget moving forward. In fact, she has stated that she would have liked to see a 20-fold increase in the foreign aid budget, which would have meant a budget where foreign aid spending made up 25 percent of the United States budget.

Sources:

Similar Posts: