Whether they seek to defend their own citizens from threats abroad or advance freedom and opportunity for all people, leaders around the world pursue foreign policy. Despite their differences, they share three common goals:
1. Securing American Values and Interests at Home
A nation’s primary objective is to protect its own interests and values at home. That goal requires defending the national economy by maintaining its military edge, forging strategic partnerships with other countries, and demonstrating that America’s values of democracy and free markets can triumph in other parts of the world.
2. Providing Access to Global Resources
The United States has unique natural and economic resources that make it a global power. Its military prowess can reach all corners of the globe, while its economic power fuels international trade and industry. And its political and cultural appeal, or “soft power,” helps shape international institutions that reflect American interests.
3. Promoting a Shared International Order
Unlike previous times in which it was possible to name enemy nations, modern foreign policy challenges such as terrorism and global warming often do not have country-specific causes. Pursuing these issues entails building relationships with a wide range of countries and addressing their problems through diplomacy, negotiation, and other formal actions that can shape the global landscape for decades.
The success of America’s grand strategy to promote democracy and free markets after World War II depends on creating international regimes and organizations that imbed its values in institutions that can withstand the vicissitudes of American power. Moreover, it requires a commitment to diplomacy that can spread the costs of waging the American war on terror and other global challenges among other nations.