“George Washington’s Farewell Address in 1789 contained one major piece of advice to the country regarding relations with other nations: ‘avoid entangling alliances.’ These words shaped United States foreign policy for more than a century” (http://www.ushistory.org/gov/11a.asp). Today, affairs with other countries are the primary approach for developing peace throughout the world. Foreign policy is a strategy the government uses to create relationships with other nations. While playing an active role in our national government, foreign policy mostly develops allies; however, it also creates enemies. The conceptual meaning of foreign policy serves as the basis for interactions between different countries. Every nation should participate in foreign policy because it produces allies, economic growth, innovative ideas, and security for all. This is something citizens should care about.
“Foreign policy includes diplomacy, military and security policy, international human rights policies, and various forms of economic policy such as trade policy and international energy policy” (https://digital.wwnorton.com). Remaining a successful resource for the interactions between countries is important when discussing foreign policy’s purpose. A familiar tactic includes using different policies to achieve the same goal. This creates a cycle of coalition for policies within the government.
Creating goals focuses on the importance of foreign policy’s purpose: to better the world. A better world is seen as one where countries comply with other nations while benefiting their own. The purposes that make this possible include: “preserving the national security of the United States, promoting world peace and a secure global environment, maintaining a balance of power among nations, working with allies to solve international problems, promoting democratic values and human rights, and furthering cooperative foreign trade and global environment in international trade organizations.” (http://www.ushistory.org/gov/11a.asp). “Although U.S. foreign policy has a number of purposes, three main, interrelated goals stand out. These are prosperity, security, and the creation of a better world” (https://digital.wwnorton.com). Most goals are based on securing a cooperative relation with other nations.
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The promotion of American prosperity is a goal that has the potential to help all nations. “America’s international economic policies are intended to expand employment opportunities in the United States, to maintain access to foreign energy supplies at a reasonable cost, to promote foreign investment in the United States, and to lower the prices Americans pay for goods and services” (https://digital.wwnorton.com). Combining powerful nations to generate success is why these economic advantages are possible. An ambitious nation tends to develop distinct characteristics, forming a successful country.
The next goal of United States foreign policy is that of security. America’s ability to create allies establishes a sense of security for the population. Creating allies with other countries automatically makes America a more secure nation. “The role of the United Nations maintains international peace and security. The United Nations was founded in 1945 and it works to prevent conflict by settling international disputes peacefully. It also serves as the framework for discussions between international countries” (https://digital.wwnorton.com). These countries are given the opportunity to engage in different political practices within their own boundaries and other’s boundaries. This creates an efficient cycle between coalition and beneficiary measures between nations. Each nation forms alliances with one another while working to enhance the advantages of their own economy. Without the help of the United Nations, there would not be cooperation between nations.
Another way to interpret security within foreign affairs is to base it on military strength. “To many Americans, the chief purpose of the nation’s foreign policy is to protection of the U.S. security in an often hostile world. Traditionally, the United States has been concerned about threats that might emanate from other countries, such as Nazi Germany during the 1940s and then Soviet Russia until the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991. Today, American security policy is concerned not only with the actions of other nations but also with the activities of terrorist groups and other hostile non-state-actors. To protect the nation’s security from foreign threats, the United States has built an enormous military apparatus and a complex array of intelligence-gathering institutions, such as the Central Intelligence Agency, charged with evaluating and anticipating challenged from abroad” (https://digital.wwnorton.com). Another common form of protection for America is the support of their allies from other countries. These countries protect America from the threats of opposing forces.
The creation of a better world is the final goal of United States foreign policy. “The main forms of policy that address this goal are international environmental policy, international human rights policy, and international peacekeeping” (https://digital.wwnorton.com). The use of these policies make Americans trust their government, which gives the people grounds to back foreign policy and what it entails.
Participating in foreign policy creates one of the most defining characteristics of the United States, which is its influence over other nations. This strong influence makes the United States extremely powerful. It shapes global economic patterns such as the ability to participate in trade with other countries. Trade is critical to America’s prosperity because it fuels economic growth. “The most important international organization for promoting free trade is the World Trade Organization, established in 1995. The World Trade Organization has 159 members worldwide, including the United States” (https://digital.wwnorton.com). “This organization sets rules governing international trade and provides members with a fair method to resolve trade disputes, avoiding violence or war” (Amadeo,Kimberly). Trade keeps economies dynamic and helps ensure the continuation of economic growth. Its primary purpose is to ensure a smooth flow of global trade between nations. Disengagement in foreign policy will make America’s trade system weak due to opposition between nations. As a result, this would lead to a decline in economic growth, preventing America to reach its full potential within its economy.
How American government decides to handle controversial issues shapes their identified values. American people tend to be misinformed on some of the most controversial issues in our nation. By depending on the media to portray the truth behind them, people are deprived of both reliable information and the significance behind these issues. The media only covers stories that will “spark” one’s interest while leaving out data that highlights an issue’s overall purpose. Foreign policy is one of the many issues that is overlooked by many Americans. It is believed that misinformation is why Americans are not interested in foreign policy, despite the impact that it has on each individual. We should care about foreign policy because it is the basis of international relations between the United States and other countries. The purpose foreign policy serves shapes how many people live today. Engaging in foreign policy can increase trading practices between nations, therefore, increasing economic growth within the economy. This can create a rise in job opportunities. Besides benefiting the economy, foreign policy protects Americans from violence with other nations. Without a sense of coalition between these two forces, there would be conflicts, possibly leading to war.
In 1789, the United States lacked coalition. Its arrangement of alliance was that of isolationism. It was believed avoiding involvement in the affairs of other nations was the only way to remain dominantly structured. In his 1796 Farewell Address, George Washington warned Americans “to avoid permanent alliances with foreign powers.” “Washington’s warning and what came to be known as the Monroe Doctrine were the foundations of the U.S. foreign policy of isolationism until the end of the nineteenth century” (https://digital.wwnorton.com). Internationalism was then introduced into American values and it became the dominant factor in worldwide interactions. For the United States, a world with isolationism means a world without influence, security, and stability. Therefore, isolationism is not possible in today’s world.
Isolationism is a term Americans either support or oppose. Isolationists believe isolationism is the key to developing a more independent and stable nation. Internationalists believe a lack of involvement between foreign nations would threaten the national security of the United States. Internationalists also believe that isolationism promotes conflict between nations. Terrorism is a prime example of the conflicts that occur between nations. This issue has been a more common approach of violence throughout the twentieth century. There has been a rise in violence within the United States since recent approaches have strived to infuse more isolationistic qualities back into American values. Countries are forming blocks against other countries, breaking the cycle of coalition between surrounding nations. If isolationism promotes conflict, the several attacks occurring in our world today are enough reasoning to oppose isolationism. A world without union is only promoting greater violence.
The decision-making perspective of foreign policy has been an effective framework to create more innovative changes within the economy. These changes include more efficient communication between foreign entities and an increase in economic growth. This is leading to more job opportunities and lower unemployment rates which helps reduce income inequality, an issue the United States struggles with. Foreign policy includes several procedures to maintain a balance of safety, prosperity, peace, and trade within nations. These procedures have helped them appreciate the power of a unionized world. Foreign policy has orientated global governance and efficient nations which has resulted in benefits to all. The points highlighted within this paper demonstrate why foreign policy should be practiced by every nation. The creation of a better world begins with foreign policy.
