NARRATOR: What is foreign policy? Foreign policy is the implementation of strategies that a country uses to guide its relationships with other countries and international organizations. At its core, U.S. foreign policy is meant to advance the interests and security of the American people and national interests. The U.S. Constitution gives the President of the United States the authority to determine U.S. foreign policy. The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the advice and approval of the Senate, is the President's Chief Foreign Affairs Advisor. The Secretary carries out the president's foreign policy through the State Department and the Foreign Service of the United States. How all of these individuals and institutions interact with their counterparts across the world is known as international relations or foreign affairs. The term foreign policy might suggest a singular thing. In reality, a foreign policy is a collection of many policies on a wide range of issues relating to international relations. That is why these policies are subject to change depending on shifting global dynamics or a change in political leadership. But year after year, across many presidential administrations, a few broad policies have formed the bedrock of the State Department's work. These policies can be broken down into four categories. The first category deals with security, making the world a safer place and protecting the United States and Americans. This includes forging alliances with other countries and defending America's interests against hostile actors. Secondly, the United States advances democracy around the world by doing things like assisting newly formed democracies and promoting free and fair elections. Advancing democracy also involves defending human rights. The United States defends human rights by holding governments accountable to their obligations under human rights standards and agreements. To advance democracy, the State Department also promotes international understanding of American values and policies. To do this, U.S. Diplomats host official events around the world. Staff at U.S. Missions also manage people to people exchange programs in the arts, culture, education, sports, science, and more. A third cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy is encouraging economic growth and prosperity. Diplomats do this by increasing investment and exports, encouraging free trade, and supporting American entrepreneurs. Fourth, the U.S. Agency for International Development carries out many programs to increase global development, including helping people compete in the global economy to reduce poverty. It also has programs to combat diseases and improve the health of people in developing countries. These programs create a safe and stable international environment that favors economic growth. This also fosters goodwill towards the United States. The United States has bilateral and multilateral relationships with over 200 countries around the world. Each of these relationships is unique. However, none of these relationships exists in isolation from one another. On the other hand, America's relationship with the outside world must always take domestic values and realities into account. It is, therefore, ideal for all of these bilateral policies to work together in tandem with America's domestic policy to form a single
coherent foreign policy. At its core, U.S. foreign policy reflects the national priorities of Americans through a focus on security, democracy, prosperity, and development.
