A nation’s foreign policy is its approach to international affairs. This can include negotiating treaties, making official declarations, and supporting or opposing the actions of other countries and nations. It is often a crucial aspect of advancing peace and prosperity, promoting democracy, and preventing military aggression or terrorist attacks.

The first objective of American foreign policy should be to safeguard and enhance our security and prosperity. We should also promote an international order that embraces democracy, human rights, and free enterprise. This is not charity—it is in America’s self-interest to integrate the world’s “have-not” nations into the globalized West.

Globalists are right that while the United States is far more powerful than any other country in the history of the world, it is not omnipotent. Many crucial problems defy unilateral action and require concerted multinational effort. These include stopping the spread of weapons of mass destruction, combating global terrorism, and fighting climate change.

While millennials don’t share the same hardline worldview as their elders, they understand the importance of foreign policy. They’re more likely to support free trade agreements and are broadly supportive of missions that provide aid. They’re also more open to the idea that Americans should work with other countries rather than trying to impose our will on them. This is a good thing, as diplomacy can help imbed American interests and values in regimes and institutions that will endure regardless of the vicissitudes of power. It’s also a wise way to avoid conflict and extend the life of our national primacy.