Foreign policy encompasses all the government activities that shape America’s interactions with other countries in the world, from negotiating trade agreements and providing humanitarian assistance to the management of military alliances, arms control, and peacekeeping operations. Its objective is to secure American national security and economic prosperity by shaping international politics so that market democracies can realize the promise of globalization while minimizing its risks.
This is a challenging task. For America to succeed in the age of global politics, it must promote a liberal world order, but it also must recognize that the United States is not omnipotent. Despite its overwhelming military and economic power, it cannot eliminate all threats or solve every problem. And its unquestioned dominance can breed resentment, especially in a world where growing economic disparity and the rise of social inequality are causing some Americans to question whether they should continue to share their country’s values or be willing to pay the price of American leadership.
The best way to avoid such resentment is to make sure that foreign policy is in line with the interests of most Americans. This requires restoring the domestic foundations of U.S. power—reducing runaway spending and reducing the deficit, investing in human and physical capital, and improving the overall economy so that the American people will not be drawn into a costly global adventure they do not believe in. It also means ensuring that America’s engagement in the world is guided by an understanding of what it is truly in its interests to achieve and a refusal to confuse achieving those objectives with winning popularity contests.