US Foreign Affairs Policy

In today’s world, people can talk to someone halfway across the world with the push of a button, and products like food are imported from just about every country in the world. In such an interconnected world, they way the government interacts with other countries, or foreign affairs, has only become more important. The US relies on many countries and many rely on us, so it’s crucial that a strong plan for these relations is developed, a plan that will lead to success not only for the US itself but for the entire planet. The United States of America should adopt building a cooperative world as their foreign affairs policy, because foreign aid is good for everyone, the US will build a better reputation internationally, and it helps create a …show more content…
It establishes allies in (often) developing nations, which can give the US an important ally in the future, as well as promote democracy in countries at risk of a having a less democratic government. A shining example of this is South Korea. According to the Embassy of the United States of Seoul, Korea, after the Korean War, the United States gave aid through money and helping to establish a strong infrastructure. A school system was developed and thousands of Koreans were trained in different profession to help start the countries rise out of destitution after the war. This country grew to have a strong economy, and became a close ally of the United States. In 2010, they even the DAC (Development Co-operation Directorate) and began giving foreign aid to other countries themselves. Many opponents of foreign aid argue that the government would be spending too much to help other countries, but infact only 1% of the federal budget is spent on foreign aid, according to the American Government Prezi. Comparatively, the military takes up %16 of the federal budget. The benefits of foreign aid therefore outway spending the 1% of the budget to help improve the well-being of a country and their citizens outside the United …show more content…
Again, South Korea is a good example of country whose citizens pushed for a democracy, and by giving aid and helping the country grow under the United States guidance, it became it’s own strong democracy. The good reputation built by these actions may also help the US gain more influence over issues, as countries will see it as a country that can be trusted to do the right thing, and lead by example, and so may be asked for guidance to solve a conflict diplomatically. Some say that this approach is too weak for a nation like the United States, and that the country may lose a lot of power, however these actions don’t have to take away the military and our general strength as a nation. If we maintain our military to a fair amount, as well as our economy, we can continue to hold power while also being a respected and trusted