8.7 - Foreign Policy

From EngageNY

The period after World War II has been characterized by an ideological and political struggle, first between the United States and communism during the Cold War, then between the United States and forces of instability in the Middle East. Increased economic interdependence and competition, as well as environmental concerns, are challenges faced by the United States.

8.7a The Cold War was an ongoing struggle between the two nuclear superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union. The Cold War shaped the reconstruction of national boundaries and political alliances across the globe.
  • Students will locate on a map the nations that were aligned with the United States, those aligned with the Soviet Union, and the non-aligned nations.
  • Students will examine the term nuclear superpower and the threat of nuclear weapons as a cause and as an effect of the arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union.
8.7b The United States based its military and diplomatic policies from 1945 to 1990 on a policy of containment of communism.
  • Students will examine the policy of containment and its application in the postwar period, including the Marshall Plan, the Korean War, the Cuban missile crisis, and the Vietnam War.
8.7c Following the end of the Cold War, the United States sought to define a new role in global affairs, but the legacies of Cold War actions continue to affect United States foreign policy today.
  • Students will examine the changing relationships between the United States and foreign countries such as:
                        • China beginning in 1950
                        • Afghanistan beginning in the 1980s
                        • Russia beginning in 1990
                        • Middle East (Israel, Palestine, Iran, Kuwait, Iraq)
                        • Countries in the Western Hemisphere, focusing on NAFTA, Cuba and Mexico
                        • European Union countries
8.7d Terrorist groups not representing any nation entered and reshaped global military and political alliances and conflicts. American foreign and domestic policies responded to terrorism in a variety of ways.
  • Students will examine the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, its effects on national security and the United States responses to it, including the USA Patriot Act, the formation of the Department of Homeland Security, the War on Terror, and military attacks on suspected terrorist locations.
8.7e Increased globalization has led to increased economic interdependence and competition.
  • Students will examine the increased economic interdependence in terms of globalization and its impact on the United States and New York State economy, including the workforce.
  • Students will examine the roles of multinational corporations and their influence on the world economy.

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