American Foreign Policy and Diplomacy Flashcards
7 cards from real CFPT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 American Foreign Policy and Diplomacy flashcards as text
The Camp David Accords of 1978, brokered by President Carter, established a peace framework between which two nations?
Answer: Egypt and Israel
The Camp David Accords were negotiated between Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, leading to a 1979 peace treaty and Egyptian recognition of Israel.
Under the U.S. Constitution, what is the correct process for ratifying international treaties?
Answer: The President negotiates treaties, which require Senate ratification by a two-thirds majority
Article II of the Constitution grants the President power to make treaties with the 'advice and consent of the Senate,' requiring approval by two-thirds of senators present.
'Dollar diplomacy,' associated with President Taft's foreign policy, primarily involved:
Answer: Using U.S. financial investments to extend American influence, particularly in Latin America and East Asia
Dollar diplomacy (1909–1913) used U.S. economic power—encouraging American banks and businesses to invest abroad—as a tool of foreign policy influence, especially in the Caribbean and Central America.
The principle of 'mutual assured destruction' (MAD) during the Cold War was based on the idea that:
Answer: If both superpowers could survive a first strike and retaliate, neither would initiate nuclear war
MAD held that the certainty of catastrophic retaliation by the surviving party would deter either superpower from launching a first nuclear strike, creating a grim form of stability.
Which U.S. foreign policy doctrine, articulated after the September 11 attacks, asserted the right to preemptive military action against potential threats?
Answer: The Bush Doctrine
The Bush Doctrine, outlined in the 2002 National Security Strategy, claimed the U.S. right to strike first against state sponsors of terrorism or nations developing WMD before an attack occurred.
Which of the following represents a power held specifically by the U.S. Senate in the realm of foreign policy?
Answer: Ratifying treaties and confirming ambassadors
The Senate alone holds the 'advice and consent' power to ratify treaties (two-thirds vote) and confirm presidential nominees including ambassadors, a critical check on executive foreign policy.
The Reagan Doctrine, as applied during the 1980s, involved:
Answer: Providing overt and covert support to anti-communist insurgencies fighting Soviet-backed governments
The Reagan Doctrine went beyond containment by actively supporting anti-communist resistance movements in Afghanistan, Nicaragua, Angola, and elsewhere to roll back Soviet influence.