U.S. Interagency Regional Foreign Policy Implementation

The United States has a complex, multi-agency structure to plan, synchronize, and execute foreign policy and national security. By statute, the State Department is the lead agency for foreign policy. However, in practice, the much larger and better-funded Department of Defense conducts much of America's foreign policy activity, often with little coordination with the State Department or other relevant agencies. Over the past two decades, the military's Geographic Combatant Commands have taken an increasing lead in planning and executing foreign policy activities around the world. This has often effectively put a military face and voice on America's foreign policy, sometimes to the detriment of broader U.S. goals and relationships. More effective U.S. foreign policy requires greater interagency coordination at all levels and a greater role for the State Department as America's lead agency for foreign policy. This study examines current interagency structures, focused particularly on the regional and sub-regional levels, describes several current or recent shortfalls in interagency unity of effort, and surveys the interagency reform literature. This study then suggests a typology of interagency reform proposals, analyzes the potential reforms, and recommends a new model: a State Department-led regional interagency headquarters. This U.S. Regional Mission would lead all U.S. foreign policy activities in the region, including the activities of the Geographic Combatant Command and the U.S. embassies in the region. The U.S. Regional Mission would conduct sub-regional operations by creating Interagency Task Forces, which would be headed by a leader from the department or agency most appropriate to the mission.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.

This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.

As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.