What policy did Kennedy lay the groundwork for at the end of his presidency?
A. Isolationism
B. Détente
C. Flexible response
D. Brinkmanship
Answer (3)
I think the answer is detente. This is because he was able to ease various political situations in the US by negotiating with the people involved in the situations. He was able to ease economic recession throught Keynesian practices. He was also able to help diffuse the issue during the Cuban Missile Crisis by negotiating with the Soviet Union
John F. Kennedy's presidency established the foreign policy approach known as flexible response, which allowed the U.S. to engage militarily without being limited to nuclear deterrence. This strategy aimed to provide a spectrum of military options, which were evident during significant Cold War confrontations like the Cuban Missile Crisis.
During his presidency, John F. Kennedy laid the groundwork for a new approach to foreign policy known as flexible response. This strategy was developed with the intention to provide a variety of options for responding to international conflicts that went beyond the binary choice of inaction or nuclear war. Flexible response allowed for military action across a spectrum, from direct involvement in small insurgencies through conventional warfare to the use of nuclear arms. Kennedy believed that the Eisenhower administration had become too dependent on nuclear deterrence as a tactic within their foreign policy. In addition, Kennedy's policy included the buildup of conventional forces, establishment of strong special forces such as the Green Berets, and even tripling of the nuclear capabilities, seeking to ensure that the U.S. could engage effectively in limited wars around the globe while maintaining a strategic nuclear balance with the Soviet Union.
The reality of this policy's application could be seen in events such as the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missile Crisis, where the United States confronted communist influence in the Western Hemisphere. These instances demonstrated the practical implications of the flexible response doctrine. In stark contrast to the prior doctrine of brinkmanship , which posited that showing the willingness to go to the brink of nuclear war would be sufficient to maintain peace, flexible response sought to offer a wider range of strategic alternatives to dealing with Cold War tensions.
The policy that Kennedy laid the groundwork for at the end of his presidency was 'détente,' aimed at easing tensions with the Soviet Union. This involved negotiations and communication to prevent crises, particularly after the Cuban Missile Crisis. Kennedy's efforts contributed to future policies that sought to stabilize U.S.-Soviet relations.
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