Foreign policy is the set of strategies and actions a state or government employs in its interactions with other countries, regions, and international entities. It encompasses a wide range of objectives, from security and defense to economic benefits and humanitarian assistance.

The concept of foreign policy has a long history, evolving and changing along with the rise of different empires and civilizations, and the growth of the world economy and the global political system. It has been characterized by different approaches to the management of relationships between states, including the formulation of strategic alliances and military interventions and by the formation of professional diplomatic corps.

Among the many challenges American leaders face, there are: humanitarian crises exacerbated by climate change; adversaries who seek to expand their influence and exert power; autocratic regimes that threaten democracy from within and without; terrorists who pose a direct threat to the safety of billions around the world, and millions of Americans at home; and new technologies that can amplify the magnitude of existing threats and create entirely new ones. To respond to these challenges, American leaders must find effective policies that can foster cooperation and stability.

While some scholars have emphasized a distinction between foreign policy and diplomacy, defining the latter as the execution arm of a nation’s global agenda, others have argued that this dichotomy is an oversimplification and that diplomats play a major role in shaping foreign policy goals. Indeed, there is a great deal of overlap between the skills and capabilities required to conduct diplomatic activities and those needed to formulate effective policy.