Foreign policy reflects a nation’s interests, values and aspirations in the world arena. It is a field that examines the relationships among states and non-state actors and is essential to understanding today’s globalized world. The study of foreign policy encompasses a broad range of topics, including international law and human rights, as well as trade agreements and military intervention.
Historically, the president has had broad discretion in foreign affairs with significant Congressional input, according to Thomas Schwartz, a historian of U.S. foreign policy at Vanderbilt University. But as the United States grew in economic and military power throughout the 20th century, Congress gradually reduced its role in foreign policymaking. The State Department, once a small agency with fewer than 700 employees, has now grown into a 70,000-strong bureaucracy, and the National Security Council (NSC) plays a key role in determining how the president should respond to foreign crises.
America’s unrivaled military and economic might makes it the most powerful country in history, but that does not mean that its leaders have all the answers. Some problems, like global warming, demand cooperation with others to solve. And other concerns, like forcibly removing dictators, require military intervention.
Americanists — those who emphasize American primacy — argue that the United States can use its unparalleled power to do what it wants, and that it must summon the courage to go it alone if necessary. Globalists, on the other hand, see a world that defies unilateral solutions and calls for a cooperative effort.
