Government » American Foreign Policy » Approaches to Foreign Policy

Approaches to Foreign Policy

Learning Objectives

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

  • Explain classic schools of thought on U.S. foreign policy
  • Describe contemporary schools of thought on U.S. foreign policy
  • Delineate the U.S. foreign policy approach with Russia and China

Frameworks and theories help us make sense of the environment of governance in a complex area like foreign policy. A variety of schools of thought exist about how to approach foreign policy, each with different ideas about what “should” be done. These approaches also vary in terms of what they assume about human nature, how many other countries ought to be involved in U.S. foreign policy, and what the tenor of foreign policymaking ought to be. They help us situate the current U.S. approach to many foreign policy challenges around the world.


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