How to Approach Foreign Policy | World101

All foreign policy has a similar aim: to influence other countries in order to protect and advance a government’s interests. However, the strategies leaders adopt in this pursuit vary widely .

Some countries might choose to engage in global affairs while others resort to isolationism in an effort to protect themself from the outside world. Meanwhile in the debate about foreign policy priorities, some countries are idealists, and want their influence abroad to reflect their values at home. In contrast, realists will argue that foreign policy should focus less on other countries’ domestic policies and more on their foreign policies. Countries also consider how they will achieve those goals, either by working together with others (multilateralism) or alone (unilateralism).

All foreign policy is composed of a mix of approaches that best suit countries’ interests and goals. Understanding how decision-makers decide which approaches are adopted is crucial to navigate our interconnected world:

CFR Education is an initiative within the Council on Foreign Relations that aims to make complex foreign policy and international issues accessible for high school and college students through its teaching and learning resources.

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