How would you define America’s national interest? Put another way, just what should America be doing with all its economic, political, military, and cultural influence? How should the country behave in world politics? Those questions engage a topic that is hotly debate, especially around election season: the national interest.
Broadly speaking, the national interest is a phrase used to describe a country’s core concerns and priorities – kind of the absolute essentials for it to do its thing (whatever that is) at home and abroad. So what is America’s national interest? What are the factors that influence it?
In this episode, I seek to define the national interest and the debate surrounding it by looking at President Trump’s 2020 State of the Union speech, and essays on American foreign policy by Democratic candidates Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Joe Biden. Needless to say, there are some important differences between how America’s major parties and their leaders think about this question.