Despite political swings and public disillusionment, Americans remain broadly supportive of alliances, international trade, and the global presence of the military. This is in part because foreign policy touches the everyday lives of most Americans. For example, they care about the safety of American troops overseas and whether affordable fruits such as bananas, coffee, or tea are grown in countries that support US foreign policy.
Americans also know that, while America is unique among past hegemons in not seeking territorial gains, its primacy does entail a degree of peril. This is because the ability of Washington to transform its unquestioned power into influence depends largely on the degree to which others believe that the United States seeks to advance its own interests in a way that will benefit them as well.
The first goal of a successful American policy must be to protect and enhance the country’s liberty, security, and prosperity. A second objective must be to create a zone of peace and prosperity in which the peoples of the world can realize their full potential.
The success of America’s foreign policy requires a partnership with other nations that aims to spread and extend the values of democracy, free enterprise, and respect for human dignity around the globe. This is the only way to ensure that the benefits of American primacy are felt in as many places as possible and that it is not ultimately squandered through the pursuit of narrow interests.