The term foreign policy refers to a nation’s goals, strategies, and actions in the international arena. It involves all aspects of a country’s relationship with the outside world, from diplomacy to defense and economic relations to aid and development.
The United States’ foreign policy has long been shaped by its fundamental interests. The nation’s indisputable first objective must be to safeguard and enhance American liberty, security, and prosperity. This requires promoting a world order that includes freedom, human rights, and free markets. It also requires integrating the “have-nots” of the world into a zone of peace and prosperity anchored by America.
Another major goal is preserving and strengthening the foundations of American power, from maintaining its military edge to its capacity to bring force to bear at a time and place of its choosing. It also means ensuring that the economy stays strong enough to afford U.S. troops the necessary resources to fight wars abroad, while providing American businesses with access to overseas markets.
Finally, the United States must address global events that have a direct impact on Americans, such as pandemics like COVID-19 or climate change. The United States’ ability to deal with these issues successfully requires cooperation with other nations, often through multinational organizations. This is why forming partnerships and negotiating international agreements are important aspects of foreign policy. In the past, the United States has helped to establish new security institutions and regimes (such as NATO and the UN) and the Bretton Woods monetary system, while promoting free trade.