Labor: A Partner in American Foreign Policy?

Abstract

Over the past two decades, labor has given broad support to the foreign policy of the United States. Its special concern is the pursuit of an antitotalitarian foreign policy, the maintenance of a strong military establishment, the rapid de colonization of the remaining colonial areas, continued high levels of foreign economic aid, and a forceful bipartisan ex pression of United States objectives. For the most part, labor is not well equipped to originate new approaches in foreign policy but prefers to take a stand on policies developed by the national-government administration. Given the prevailing division of functions in the labor movement, foreign policy is chiefly in the hands of the AFL-CIO president and his imme diate staff. Postwar developments have led to the creation of special labor positions in government agencies involved in the conduct of foreign relations. These have too often been filled with unsuitable persons from the labor movement. On the whole, labor is a useful but not a senior partner in the making and administering of American foreign policy.