Foreign policy is the set of strategies a nation chooses to safeguard its national interests and achieve its goals in international relations. It involves forming alliances, concluding trade agreements, dealing with intransigent adversaries, and maintaining diplomatic relationships with non-state actors, among other activities. It also includes the ability to respond to crises around the globe and provide assistance for humanitarian disasters.
For the United States, a sound and effective foreign policy must foster cooperation and peace while safeguarding its own national security and economic interests. This requires building mutually beneficial relationships with all nations, including those whose policies are hostile to ours. It requires resolving conflict through dialogue and negotiation rather than force, and it necessitates supporting nations that respect their citizens and uphold the rule of law.
American leaders must face a host of daunting global challenges, including climate change that threatens the livelihoods of billions; a rise in global authoritarianism and the proliferation of new technologies that can be used to sow hatred and fear; and military threats that can touch millions of people at home. Despite this, too many Americans seem to reject America’s engagement with the world. Poll after poll shows that millennials prefer diplomacy to confrontation, want restraint over intervention, and believe the United States should focus on foreign aid and trade instead of its military strength. Moreover, those who support populist parties often hold views on foreign policy that are inconsistent with the national consensus.