Foreign Policy and Democracy

This chapter discusses foreign policy and democracy in the United States. It defines foreign policy as the policies and programs that govern America’s and other governments’ interactions with foreign organizations. The primary objectives of American foreign policy are the building of a better world, security, and economic prosperity. Every country strives to be a secure nation. The United States has responded to external security threats in a variety of ways. Initially, the country was unconcerned about wars that did not directly harm the country due to physical limits. However, due to advancements in technology, the country has been forced to respond to external threats with the use of military force, diplomacy, United Nations and collective security to prevent future attack with an aim of attaining economic prosperity and growth such as high employment rates and good terms of trade.

During the twentieth century, technology broke the geographical boundaries. United States realized that World War I compromised their security and economic interests and decided to fully participate in war against other nations and non-state groups like the ISIS. Through this awakening, the country has continued to participate in wars against terrorists in countries like Iraq with an aim of hindering future attacks to the country, as well as other nations. However, there have been disagreements on which of the foreign policies is effective, especially from those involved in making the foreign policy including the president and congress. Collective use of different policies that include diplomacy, collective security, United Nations and military force seem more effective tools in the modern America.

The purpose of this chapter is to analyze the progress of the United States on the formation and implementation of foreign policies. It shows how America has changed from the use of diplomacy to the use of military force in fighting for security and as well to the combination of different forms of foreign policies to attain growth and development. It is a good source of knowledge on the use of foreign policy and democracy for anyone who seeks it.