America can’t seem to decide on its place in the world. Republican opposition has stalled U.S. support for the Ukrainian war effort; the Biden administration is trying to use its influence to get Israel to change its approach in Gaza; and polls find that a majority of Americans favor the United States stepping back from a leading role in global affairs. With the 2024 presidential election on the horizon, the world is watching as the country grapples with its vision for the future.
Essays in the recent issue of Foreign Affairs diagnose the problems at the root of the country’s indecision and offer potential paths forward. Philip Zelikow argues that Washington’s policymaking talent and know-how have diminished since the Cold War and that the U.S. government must revive its core capabilities to face urgent global challenges. Fareed Zakaria sees American pessimism as the problem. He writes that the United States is increasingly consumed by exaggerated fears of its own decline. Washington should maintain its leading role on the global stage, he argues, or else risk leading both the country and the world astray. To secure this leading position, the Republican Party must embrace an internationalist foreign policy rather than a turn inward, writes Kori Schake. All agree: Washington cannot afford to ignore the world, otherwise another state will step in to fill the gap.
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