New Changes Of American Foreign Policy Decision Process After The Cold War

The American foreign policy decision is made by three "concentric circle" strength, President, the Administration and Congress(inner); interest groups, mass media, Think Tanks(intermediate); public opinions, voters(outer) and so on. President and Congress are actual foreign policy makers, and their interaction decides the run of foreign policy.The American foreign policy decision process changes following the international patterns. Since US got rid of half century external restriction and the pressure after the Cold War, the American foreign policy decision process has presented the remarkable changes and bright time characteristics in the new international situations. They have vivid manifestations in the case of PNTR.PNTR is the English abbreviation of permanent normal trade relations. After Clinton Administration submitted the proposal to Congress on eighth March 2000, all circles of American society unfolded a diplomatically legislative combat and policy debate involving the whole America. The supporters and opponents of the proposal stuck to their own version, argued intensely, and eventually adopted a compromising motion with additional articles. PNTR showed two fundamental changes in characteristics of American foreign policy decision after the Cold War.One, Congress are confident and challenging in the American foreign policy decision process more and more after the Cold War. The situation that president and the Administration dominate the foreign policy decision process has not undergone fundamental changes, but the presidential powers of foreign policy decision have encountered serious challenge and restriction from Congress after the Cold War.The other, After the Cold War, all nongovernmental factors have taken part in foreign policy decision process immediately or indirectly, and at a certain degree influence even control the trend of foreign policy. The social groups' effect on foreign policy decision is limited, but it has obviously strengthened after the Cold War.