“Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” framed the U.S. founding ethos when colonists rebelled against Britain in 1776. For 250 years, successive administrations have asserted that promoting democracy, human rights, and freedoms drives American foreign policy—yet citizens increasingly question whether these ideals align with the nation’s actions.
Public skepticism surged in 2024, with 72% of Americans agreeing that U.S. democracy “used to be a good example but has not been in recent years,” according to polls. DW’s analysis reveals a dramatic shift in foreign policy: military interventions have supplanted diplomacy as the primary tool for shaping global outcomes.
U.S. Prioritizes Military Power Over Diplomacy
Scholars Monica Duffy Toft and Sidita Kushi catalog over 500 U.S. military interventions since 1776. Post-9/11, a “use of force” mindset gained dominance, observes Kushi, an assistant professor at Mount Holyoke College. “When diplomacy fails, militarism fills the vacuum,” she notes, citing a bloating defense budget and shrinking State Department resources.
Geographic priorities evolved too: While Latin America dominated interventions historically, post-9/11 conflicts concentrated in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia raised by Kushi highlight a new era of global militarism.
Regime Change and Nation-Building Objectives
From the 1990s Balkan interventions to the 1993 Somalia mission (Operation Restore Hope), the U.S. framed military action as humanitarian. But since 2001, Kushi notes, regime change became routine—evidenced by the 2019 Venezuelan coup attempt and Iran confrontation earlier this year.
Diplomacy Replaced by Bilateralism and Force
Economic goals now hinge on trade agreements rather than protectionism. Columbia University’s Calvin Thrall notes U.S. diplomats excel in commercial negotiations but prioritize only nations with economic stakes, leaving Bolivia, Pakistan, and Malawi without ambassadors. Executive agreements—easier to enact than treaties—have declined across administrations, undermining multilateral cooperation.
