Political Science

The United States Foreign policy is that policy by which the nation interacts with foreign countries and guides its relationships and activities with these nations (WWSPIA, 2003).  Foreign policy development is determined by behavior or policies of other countries, plans to advance certain geopolitical designs or domestic considerations (Felton, 2002).  Since it broke free from British colonial control and after becoming an independent country, the US has continually practiced a wide variety of foreign policies.  It focuses its relations with other nations through its citizens wants and needs (WWSPIA, 2003). 

Majority of local and state governments have always had the interest of serving as well as protecting local needs and they do so by lobbying the federal government as concerns certain foreign policy issues (Leffer  Legro, 2008).  Local and state governments assist the countrys economy by promoting international trade, regulating their own relationships with other nations and express opinions as concerns foreign affairs (Felton, 2002).  The United States foreign policy affects almost every aspect of its citizens lives including taxes, jobs and prices.  Few Americans realize that their nations actions have a direct or indirect impact on other nations around the globe (Pillar, 2001).  At its best, the nation is able to bring light and hope to the neediest individuals around the world but at its worst, it is also capable of breeding fear, bringing fear and in the end unleashing the wrath of people who conclude that Americans are a apart of the same tyranny against which they have fought (Berstein, 2003).

LITERATURE REVIEW
Policy Bried Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs sept. 2003 Public Opinion on Foreign Policyu the multilateral puvl that perceives itself as unilateral

In this article, the author talks about the US foreign policy and public opinion as concerns multilateral regimes.  US Foreign policy seems to have taken the unilateral direction since the Bush administration exhibited a deep skepticism of multilateralism (WWSPIA, 2003).  Even though unilateralism is not new in the US Foreign Policy, Americans have shown their willingness to  ignore allies, reject treaties as well as use military force on its own (Ibid, 2003).  This new move has destabilized global politics since American appears to have emerged as an unprecedented and unrivaled world superpower, looming over the rest of the world (WWSPIA, 2003).

The Bush administration adopted a foreign policy whose differences with the previous doctrines are circumstances in which the administration has been forced to operate, both internationally and locally (Ibid, 2003).

The New York Times Richarc Berstein Sept. 11, 2003 foreign views of US darken since 0911
The author in this article features opinions from around the globe as concerns the attitude towards America and their foreign policy after the 911 attacks (Berstein, 2003).  Majority of individuals from across the globe sympathized with Americans during that particular time but their attitude has since changed.  This is because their perception of the United States is that of acting like an authoritative person taking over everyone else (Ibid, 2003).  With the Bush administration, the US foreign policy did not consider the interests of its citizens or those of others in other nations.  Foreign policy experts site that this negative attitude concerning the US foreign policy during the Bush administration was heightened by the fact that the United States declared war on Iraq, triggering counteralliance of Germany and France (Berstein, 2003).

The author goes on to indicate that even amongst college and high school students, it is not uncommon to hear denunciations as concerns the US Foreign Policy as well as sharp questioning of the American motives (Berstein, 2003).  The Bush administration failed to convince large proportions of the American public as well as the rest of the world, his justifications for declaring war on Iraq. While the rest of the world remained skeptical concerning the belief that there existed a connection between the Al Qaeda terrorist group and Saddam Hussein the United States believed otherwise (Ibid, 2003).  The author goes ahead to explain that for the majority of individuals, the issue did not lie with the United States but with the Bush administration and what was perceived as arrogance (Berstein, 2003).

The Chicago Council on Global Affairs World Public rejects US role as the world leader
The article discusses findings from surveys conducted revealing that majority of individuals in the United States as well as the rest of the world are not for the idea of the US continuous role as pre-eminent world leader (Leffer  Legro, 2008).  In addition, American citizen tend to agree with the rest of the world in that the US should make an effort to play a more co-operative role as compared to its current one.  However, despite the negative attitude concerning the US Foreign Policy, majority of individuals across the globe do not prefer the US disengaging from international affairs but prefer it rather participates in a more multilateral and co-operative fashion (Leffer  Legro, 2008).
Terrorism and U.S. Foreign Policy by Paul, R. P.

In this article, the author questions the United States foreign policy principle of making no deals with terrorists and what Americans and the rest of the world think concerning the issue.  He also touches on the factors affecting the willingness of international governments to assist the US in counterterrorism. The article goes ahead to identify necessary elements needed for the counterterrorism policy, examining why the US is considered prime terrorist target (Pillar, 2001).  In addition, the author addresses ways that the publics view towards terrorism can limit counterterrorist policy.  Recommendations on how to amend the US foreign policy are also given in the article.
Global Connections Americas Role in the 21st Century by John, F.

Felton, who is the author of this article, discusses the role of the United States and the publics opinion as concerns its position in the globe as a superpower.  However, it is argued that it will soon have a future global competitor that will be in a position to influence how the world will be shaped in the course of the 21st Century, the competitor being China (Felton, 2002).  The economic growth in china has in the recent past rapidly risen to a point where majority of Chinese have been pulled out of poverty status and can now afford comfortable living.  The author also touches on the 911 terrorist attacks and how the existing US Foreign Policy is considered a fundamental departure from the traditional liberal realism that has been used to guide the United States in the course of the 20th Century (Ibid, 2002).

From the above-mentioned articles, it can be observed that they have a common theme, which is terrorism (Felton, 2002).  The common theme is also, what makes them similar in that each author discusses what American public as well as the people around the world think concerning the US Foreign policy on terrorism.  Despite having sympathy towards what happened during the terrorist attack on 911, the rest of the world remains skeptical about the actions the US government is taking to ensure that its citizens and the rest of the world are protected (Berstein, 2003).  On the other hand, these articles are somehow different for instance, while two of the articles discuss terrorism and the implementation of the foreign policy towards fighting terrorism. The rest discuss mainly about how the rest of the world is not comfortable with having the United States as a superpower, capable of stepping over the rest of the world (Leffer  Legro, 2008).

Each author in their article has selected a number of variables, which include dependent variable, independent variables and control variables.  For instance, the author in the article Public opinion on Foreign Policy. has made unilateralism and multilateralism the independent variables on which the US Foreign policy is dependent upon, making it a dependent variable (Pillar, 2001).  The author in the article Foreign views of US darken since 0911 has taken the US foreign policy to be the independent variable.  American publics as well as international perceptions as concerns the foreign policy is the dependent variable since it is influenced by what is included in the foreign policy (Berstein, 2003).  In the article World public rejects US as the world leader, the author has considered the position of the United States as a superpower a dependent variable since it relies on the publics attitude towards its current position to remain as it is.  Therefore, positive or negative public attitude is the independent variable in this article.

Terrorism and the US foreign policy by Paul is an article that has made counterterrorism policy dependent upon certain elements that are to dictate how it is to be implemented.  In this case, the elements are the independent variable while the foreign policy is the dependent variable.  In the final article, Global Connections.. by John Felton, the author has in this case also made the US foreign policy and current position as a superpower to be the dependent variable (Leffer  Legro, 2008).  The American citizens and international publics perception as to the situation are the independent variables which dictate the foreign policy and United States stand as a global superpower.

CONCLUSION
Personal attitudes are the determinants as to whether specific foreign policies will be supported or not.  The federal government should therefore ensure that the public is educated as to what entails foreign policies and how they, together with international communities, would benefit from its implementation.