CONCLUSION|^489CONCLUSION
Foreign policy defi nitely matters. Consider the following four statements: (1)
National security is a top priority for many Americans. (2) The state of the Ameri-
can economy, from home prices to the unemployment rate, is a ff ected by economic
conditions elsewhere. (3) Trade agreements with other nations determine how
much American companies are allowed to export and what taxes and fees they
must pay to import raw materials and other goods. (4) Solutions to pressing envi-
ronmental problems such as climate change are inherently international. As these
statements show, it is hard to fi nd a domestic issue that does not have a foreign
policy component.
Foreign policy is also confl ictual. Disagreements among elected offi cials over
what to do in Afghanistan, or over trade agreements or any other question of for-
eign policy, are not just attempts to attract political support or gain media atten-
tion. These diff erences of opinion refl ect real dilemmas over what government
should do.
In all these respects, events such as the September 11 attacks, the invasions
of Iraq and Afghanistan, and the worldwide economic crisis of 2008–09 are not
exceptions to the rule. Rather, these events epitomize just how close to home for-
eign policy is. Foreign policy is not something that happens “out there,” in isolation
from the American public; from the state of the economy to public safety, ordinary
Americans are fi nding their lives increasingly aff ected by actions taken by indi-
viduals, organizations, and countries outside America’s borders.