Building the road to Beijing, 1969–1976. The Influence of Domestic Political Factors on the American Foreign Policy during the Nixon and Ford Administrations.

Abstract

In general, this study focuses on the American foreign policy-making process during the Nixon and Ford Administrations. More specifically, it seeks to identify and analyze the major domestic concerns and influences that had an impact on the decisions made in the sphere of foreign policy and international relations in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Using the Sino- American rapprochement, one of the key elements of the newly formulated détente doctrine, as an example, the author aims at explaining what role did the political parties, various lobbies and pressure groups, as well as the media and public opinion play in Nixon’s and Kissinger’s implementation of their “new world order”. It is beyond any doubt that the rapprochement process with China PRC as well as the more pragmatic approach to the Soviet Union had been facilitated by such events as the Sino- Soviet split, which were neither set in motion nor controlled by the United States. On the other hand, Nixon and Kissinger, after reforming the American foreign policy-making establishment to better suit their purpose, skillfully made use of these events as well as of the changes in the mindset of the American public, to which they often appealed for support and understanding. The fact that the pro-Taiwanese lobby was gradually loosing its influence and clout and that many Congressmen and Senators began openly to call for the revision of American policy towards China significantly contributed to the establishment of relations with Beijing. As the author further argues, however, as soon as it became apparent that détente was not bringing the results Nixon and Kissinger promised it would bring, it began rapidly to loose its popularity among the American people. Already during the Watergate scandal and even more apparently during the subsequent Ford Presidency, the administration found it extremely difficult to further pursue and develop some of the détente initiatives in the face of growing opposition from the conservatives, the resurgent pro-Taiwanese pressure groups and ever more skeptical American public. While it is not possible to say that the ultimate success or failure of détente and the Sino-American rapprochement as its “flagship” depended solely on the support of the American lawmakers and people, it seems to be evident that without this support the détente was eventually doomed to decline.

Keywords: détente, Sino-American rapprochement, American foreign policymaking process, pressure groups, public opinion, domestic consensus on foreign policy, new world order