What Is Foreign Policy?

Foreign policy is the broad set of goals and priorities that guide a state’s actions and interactions with other states and international actors. It encompasses a wide range of issues and actors, from the national interests and values of a country to its military strategy and diplomacy. A country’s foreign policy is also influenced by the policies and behavior of other states, its economic interests in global trade, and the power structure of the international system.

A country’s foreign policy reflects its beliefs, values, and goals in the world, and can help to advance its own interests or serve as a response to perceived threats to itself. Historically, foreign policy was defined by doctrines and treaties that guided diplomatic engagement and coercive measures like war. The Monroe Doctrine, for example, established Latin America as an American sphere of influence and rejected European colonization of the region.

Today, the focus of a country’s foreign policy is often on cooperation rather than conflict. Many Americans appreciate the importance of diplomacy, foreign aid, and economic engagement abroad. Polls indicate that millennials, for example, believe that peace is more important than the pursuit of military supremacy.

The Department of State pursues transformational diplomacy by advancing environmental stewardship and social development around the globe to foster a safer, more secure, and more hopeful world. It works with international partners to respond to pressing challenges including climate change, energy security, and nuclear proliferation. This work supports U.S. national interests, including our enduring democratic values and our commitment to international security.

What Is Government Policy?

government policy

Government policy is the broad range of laws, enactments, and decisions that govern human activity. These policies help address issues in society and enhance social well-being. Government policy is also the process of identifying and solving societal problems through the allocation of resources, the regulation of behavior, and the formulation of goals.

There are many different kinds of government policies, including the distribution of resources and benefits, such as increasing the minimum wage. Other kinds of policies focus on addressing specific issues, such as hospital accreditation or zoning rules. There are also policies aimed at addressing global issues, such as international trade agreements or international peace and security. The purpose of policy is to guide and influence human actions through a framework of values, beliefs, and practices.

Public policy is the formal and informal aspect of government decision making. Formal public policy includes laws, regulations, and budget allocations that shape the framework and powers of governmental institutions. Informal policy includes unwritten norms and traditions that affect human actions. Both types of policy can be influenced by socio-political and other factors beyond the control of government institutions.

The way in which policies are made has changed significantly in recent decades. A once-simple process in which a central government of a nation state was the sole source of policies has evolved into a governance literature that characterizes the gradual hollowing out of the core of the nation state (Rhodes, 1997). Today, government is one of many actors involved in the policymaking process.

Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Political Scandals

political scandal

A political scandal occurs when a government official engages in unethical behavior that is seen by citizens as a breach of public trust. Scandals often elicit calls for investigations and resignations, and can have profound effects on the political climate and public perception of government institutions and officials. Scandals are typically highlighted in the media and are widely influenced by political, social, and cultural factors. Although scholars from diverse disciplines, primarily communication research and political science, have studied the effects of political scandals, a comprehensive overview of the literature is lacking.

Using meta-analysis, this article provides the first systematic review of the effects of political scandals. A total of 78 studies with more than 54,000 participants are included in the analysis. The vast majority of the studies investigate the effect of single politician scandals, while one study examines multipolitician scandals. More than two-thirds of the studies use student samples, and most of the research is published in political science and psychology journals, with only three studies appearing in communication journals.

The coding results show that scandals usually have negative evaluative effects on politicians, but the scope of these effects depends on moderator variables such as citizens’ previous views and attitudes, their general level of political trust and cynicism, their affiliation with the implicated party, and the type of scandal. Additionally, political scandals are likely to trigger behavioural responses from politicians who are not directly involved in the scandal, such as breaking or limiting their links with the implicated party and switching parties.

What is Political Unrest?

The term political unrest encompasses a range of activities including protests, strikes and civil disturbance. While there is no widely accepted definition for the term, it is generally understood to include actions aimed at challenging and challenging the status quo. These may occur over short or long timeframes. The activities involved may be peaceful or violent but always aim to bring attention and awareness to underlying issues.

Economic Inequality

The root cause of most unrest is the growing inequality in our world – between rich and poor, and between those with a lot of money and those who have little or nothing at all. This can trigger political unrest, as people grow disillusioned and lose faith in their government. It can also result in high levels of unemployment and poverty if governments are unable to implement effective economic policies.

Corruption is another major contributor to political unrest. When people are robbed of their basic rights, they lose trust in the government and become more likely to protest. In some cases, this can lead to authoritarianism if the government is seen as corrupt and repressing dissent.

Climate Change

The effects of climate change are causing food shortages, increasing competition for limited resources, and leading to human displacement. This can fuel conflict and political unrest as people fight for the survival of their families and communities.

Identity Politics

Studying Global Affairs at UC Irvine

Global affairs covers the ways countries, non-governmental organizations and businesses interact with one another on a global scale. It encompasses diplomacy, trade, security and human rights. Whether you’re interested in helping solve humanitarian challenges, shaping policy or launching a career in international business, studying global affairs gives you the knowledge and skills to make an impact on a world-wide level.

In a globalized world, the ability to understand and navigate complex issues like terrorism, refugee crises and global poverty requires multidisciplinary training that spans the disciplines of political science, history, economics, sociology, geography and the humanities. The programs offered by UC’s School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) combine expertise in international relations with courses on history, culture, language and more to equip students to think flexibly across cultures and time periods.

The Department of Global Affairs (Canada) supports the Government of Canada’s interests and values in a rapidly changing global environment. This includes managing diplomatic relations, promoting international trade and providing consular support. It also leads international development, humanitarian and peace and security assistance efforts.

As a major in global affairs, you can customize your curriculum to align with your interests and career goals. Choose from a wide range of electives in the areas of human rights and humanitarianism, economic development and poverty, climate change, foreign policy and diplomacy, and global health. You can also complete an optional senior thesis in GLBL 4500 or fulfill the requirement with a capstone project in a substantive seminar of your choice.

What Is National News?

National news refers to events or issues that have a significant impact on the whole country. These may include political issues, foreign policy and other matters of national interest. While many national news outlets focus on global topics, they can also cover local stories with relevance to the entire nation. The distinction between local and national news often depends on the proximity of a story’s subject and its ability to capture people’s attention. This can result in different news values that influence the selection of local and national stories.

The first nationwide cable TV news channel was CNN, which launched in 1980. The channel became famous in 1991 for its coverage of the Persian Gulf War, which was the first time that a television network was able to communicate with people inside a war zone and broadcast live from within it. Other national news channels that have since been created include Fox News, MSNBC, CNBC, Bloomberg Television and NBC Sports Network.

In addition to these nationally available channels, some regional television stations have their own 24-hour news channels as well. These channels typically feature a mix of local and national news as well as local weather forecasts (which are normally provided by individual cable providers at randomized times throughout the day, usually about ten times an hour). Examples of these television news networks include New York 1 and News 12 Networks, which operate in upstate New York; Spectrum News, which operates across five states in the northeast; and New England Cable News, which covers six states in the northwestern United States.

The Right to Political Asylum

The right to asylum, both a form of protection and an immigration status granted by the government, is available to those who have been genuinely persecuted in their home countries for political reasons. To qualify for asylum, a person must prove they have both past persecution on one or more of the five protected grounds (race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, and political opinion) and a well-founded fear of future persecution.

Although the United States does not guarantee legal representation for people seeking asylum, many nonprofit and faith-based organizations offer free or low-cost legal services to individuals displaced by violence or other disasters in their native countries. For some, this is their only hope of regaining stability and safety in the United States.

An individual may apply for asylum by filing Form I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal, with USCIS. The applicant must submit a full personal statement that includes their background and how they were harmed or persecuted, along with supporting evidence that demonstrates their claims.

Generally, the interviewer will ask the applicant to explain why they believe their fears are well-founded and what they would do if returned to their country of origin. The interviewer will also ask if there is any evidence that supports their statements. It is important for the applicant to be able to answer these questions in their own words. This is the most powerful way to prove that they have a well-founded fear of persecution.

The Importance of Economic Growth

Economic growth is the increase in the production of goods and services, measured using estimates such as gross domestic product (GDP). This increases incomes, inspiring consumers to spend more, driving a rising material standard of living and overall quality of life. Economic growth is vital to countries of all sizes. It’s why economists study it and why policy makers are always striving to achieve it.

The growth rate varies by country and is influenced by a multitude of factors. For example, the incentives that encourage people to save or invest differ across nations. The cost of resources, such as the price of oil or gold, are also a factor in how quickly an economy can grow. But, a nation’s leaders can design its institutions in ways that maximize its economic growth potential.

Increasing the quantity of physical capital in an economy, such as by adding new buildings or machinery, can speed up economic growth. However, achieving sustained economic growth depends more on the growth of human and technological capital. The more knowledge workers have, the more productive they can be. For example, a computer built today may require the same amount of physical materials as one from 10 years ago but a computer with faster processing power produces more output per hour of labor than the previous model.

The most important driver of growth is increased productivity, or output per hour worked. The best way to stimulate this growth is to reduce barriers to technology adoption, such as by improving the skills of laborers and increasing the quality of tools they use.

Late Breaking Research at SRI

Late Breaking is the act of braking later than the car you are trying to pass. It’s a hard move to master and one that often has devastating consequences. Brake too early and you may miss the other car and get re-passed or slide wide and hit your noggin – both of which are bad. Brake too late and you could end up with your wheels off the track or in a ditch.

While the importance and popularity of the “Late Breakers” at SRI are well founded, it is worth considering whether or not a pendulum has swung too far. The focus on this group of original research presentations casts a shadow over many other clinically important and relevant studies that occur in other sessions and might undermine the credibility of those other findings.

The LBW category provides an opportunity to present preliminary and/or exploratory data that demonstrates significant potential for impact, identifies new avenues of inquiry or advances the field in general. This includes work that is hypothesis generating and/or mechanistic and is intended to lay the foundation for future study or application; research that is at the pre-specified, post-hoc or follow-up stage of a trial (primary, subgroup or meta-analysis); and laboratory or device-based studies with potential clinical impact. LBW submissions should not have been presented or published in another venue prior to the time of submission and must be accompanied by a statement from the authors documenting their reasons for eligibility in this category.

How to Prepare for Breaking News

Breaking news is an urgent event that requires immediate reporting to keep the public informed. These events can be natural disasters, political upheavals, or other major incidents that are considered significant enough to interrupt normal programming. Unlike regular news reporting, which can allow time for thorough research and fact-checking, breaking news usually demands that journalists report quickly so they can inform audiences as developments happen. This urgency often results in incomplete stories that are updated continuously as new information becomes available.

In the past, if an event occurred that warranted breaking news coverage, television and radio stations would typically interrupt non-news or regularly scheduled programming with a “News Alert” or a special break in which the network feed is temporarily paused and a countdown sequence appears to allow affiliated stations to switch over to the live news broadcast. Breaking news is often identified by a distinctive opening graphic and a unique music cue.

Digital platforms have transformed how breaking news is disseminated, allowing for rapid sharing of eyewitness accounts and public reactions to events. This can sometimes cause challenges in verifying information as it spreads and leads to rumors that must be addressed by journalists.

It is also important for breaking news teams to prepare ahead of time when an emergency occurs. Having an emergency news plan in place will help ensure the organization can serve its community with accurate and complete information while following RTDNA ethics and professional standards. This includes being sure to notify the closed captioning company so they can immediately provide services when needed.