Foreign Policy A Central Concern For The Average American

Brian Byrnes†¨Political Science 321 —Response Paper #1†¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨ Foreign policy has recently lost its place as a central concern for the average American. With our representatives more focused on domestic issues, such as the economy, most overlook or simply ignore what’s going on overseas. As a result, our leaders fail to address these issues and even those running for president resist defining their stance on foreign policy in a concrete fashion because they know most Americans are not paying attention. I will argue that foreign policy should play a much more significant role in our political system and that by devaluing it, we put our domestic safety in jeopardy. If we fail to keep our eyes on the affairs and politics of other countries, we take†¦show more content†¦She recognizes that war or immediate threats to national security force Americans to take out their ear plugs and listen to what is happening in the world abroad. However, she asserts tha t this should not be the case because foreign policy has a prevalent and definite impact upon our day-to-day lives. â€Å"†¦foreign policy does affect everyone, not only because of threats of terrorist attacks or the danger of war, but for far more mundane reasons,† (Kaufman). Fortunately, Kaufman eventually places the impetus for action upon us, the citizens, and encourages us to examine a politician’s positions on foreign policy before going to the voting booth. I completely support Kaufman’s assertion that we as voters should stay informed, for without knowledge, we are unable to make a wise decision when casting our vote. Additionally, Kaufman claims that â€Å"†¦Americans are ahistorical. Most have little knowledge and little concern with the lessons of history,†(Kaufman). Without such historical knowledge, we are unable to place our grasp of foreign affairs into a â€Å"historical context†. †¨ Walter Mead, in his article  "The American Foreign Policy Legacy†, agrees with Kaufman that we must know the history of foreign policy to accurately understand its significant lessons. While Kaufman points out the average citizen’s lack of knowledge regarding foreign policy, Mead blames those higher up, especially the decision makers who he thinks should