How are foreign policy and national security interwoven with domestic politics?

Answer 1

They dont.

I may not be able to give a great response to this question, but I can certainly beat "They don't." Politics change generation to generation and sometimes election to election. In the current political climate, (I'm assuming you're asking about American politics and American foreign policy) since we have a two party system with nearly every seat being held by members of one or the other major parties, the issue resolution ideas wind up either being accepted by both parties and passed into law or generally practiced whoever has control of the White House, or they take sides. Not every Liberal lines up with the party stance and neither does every Conservative line up with their party's stance, but the overwhelming majority of delegates do line up with their parties' stances.

Now, when you set into this political climate issues of critical importance to the continuance of this nation and which can redefine us as a culture, people believe passionately that their stance is critical to our national identity, or at times the very survival of our nation not to mention the affect we have on literally billions of lives around the globe. World opinion comes into play when we try to work through an entity like the United Nations or when trying to pressure a rogue government or dictator into abandoning some of their policies. A nuclear weapons program for example or a trade agreement for another.

A presidential candidate makes claims for what he will do if elected. This gives the American voters information to consider, whether we want to invest our future in his or her vision for the American role in international affairs. The same is true of Senators and Representatives but to a lesser degree. The state legislators generally platform their campaigns on state interests but can oppose or support presidential efforts in foreign policy making. Currently we have a Republican president opposed by Democratic majorities in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Add into this mix the third branch of government, the Judicial branch. These folks are appointed by the presidents as positions open, but have to be approved by Congress. A judge's term is for life, so the next president will inherit the choices of former presidents and congresses. This Judicial branch has opposed the current president's efforts to hold combatants captured on the battlefield and proclaimed authority to bring those enemy combatants under the judicial branch for trial. This is a first in American history. In all other wars America has been involved in, enemy combatants were held and tried by military tribunal. Conservatives view this as detrimental to our national security because they believe it makes us look weak to our enemies, while Liberals hold that all humans deserve the same human rights.

So there is much interweaving of security, foreign policy and domestic politics.