American Foreign Policy: The Founding

On this episode of The Hillsdale College Online Courses Podcast, Jeremiah and Juan introduce the course "American Foreign Policy."

We often treat foreign policy as a mystery that can only be understood by an enlightened few who have committed their lives to understanding the complexities of international life. This view is dangerous because it encourages citizens to ignore a critical aspect of American political life that it’s our duty to understand. And it’s false because the basics of foreign policy are commonsense and a joy to learn. For the Founders, the basic premise of foreign policy is simple—we must make every decision with a view towards securing the equal, natural rights of American citizens. This understanding requires that America’s leaders remain accountable to the people, and it places essential limits on our interventions abroad. Yet, for over a century, this traditional understanding of American foreign policy has been challenged by new and more ambitious doctrines that argue for increased American involvement and leadership abroad. 

The Founders believed that sovereign nations, like individuals, cannot be ruled without their consent. The aim of American foreign policy is to secure the nation, the rights of our citizens, and our national honor. 

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