Foreign policy involves the interactions of states and non-state actors in a global system. It has a long and diverse history, shaped by wars, exploration, the rise of different ideologies and religions, and colonization. It is also a constantly evolving field that requires careful consideration and calculation in order to advance interests and protect security.
The United States has a unique influence on world affairs, due to its military and economic power. As a result, decisions made in Washington have outsized consequences, affecting the safety and well-being of billions around the globe, including millions of Americans. In the face of a host of complex challenges — climate change-exacerbated humanitarian crisis; adversaries who seek to expand influence and exert power; autocrats that threaten democracy from within and without; and new technologies that amplify existing threats while creating new ones — America must maintain its position as a leader in the international arena.
Millennials need to hear, in clear and accessible terms, why it is important for the United States to remain engaged as an arbiter of peace, a guarantor of security and a force for stability abroad. Without a capable military, disaster relief would be more difficult to deliver; without diplomacy based on a separation of powers and political rights and freedoms, the world is more vulnerable to authoritarian tyranny. And, without America’s leadership and engagement in world affairs, other nations will fill the vacuum left behind – a dangerous prospect for all of us.