Foreign policy refers to the decisions and actions by government officials regarding relations with other countries. This includes establishing diplomatic relations, engaging foreign audiences, and promoting our values through various forms of public diplomacy. Foreign policy is a complex and multifaceted issue, often involving many actors. It is also interdependent and influences the foreign policies of other countries.
Americanists, those who emphasize America’s preeminent power, argue that the United States should be free to set its own goals in international politics and achieve them without regard to the preferences and interests of others. They warn against the pernicious effects of globalization and a dangerous drift toward hegemony by other nations.
Globalists, on the other hand, believe that the United States should engage with other nations to promote prosperity and security around the globe. They are right that the world is far more interdependent than it used to be. And they are right that some crucial problems, such as halting global warming or stopping the spread of weapons of mass destruction, defy unilateral U.S. solutions.
A third model of foreign policy is isolationism, which rejects any commitments to other countries or agreements and believes that a state should be wholly self-reliant. But this view is out of date in the world of globalization. Failed and failing states pose a threat to their citizens, and they often export infectious diseases, corruption, and poverty, all of which have a negative impact on America.