From the Editor's Desk

America’s Foreign Policy Inertia - Foreign Affairs

As the world evolves, the United States must adapt or suffer the consequences. The process of adaptation, however, is usually plodding, if it happens at all. Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden each attempted to steer U.S. foreign policy in new directions but met resistance from both domestic and foreign actors. The difficulty they encountered is no surprise. Since World War II, many U.S. leaders have attempted to change the country’s foreign policy, and their efforts have often fallen short. Inertia is a powerful force.

Take the two-decade war in Afghanistan as a recent example. For years, the U.S. operation was failing, with little prospect of stabilizing the country and securing a democratic government. Yet bureaucratic and political interests in Washington obstructed efforts to change course. President Barack Obama and his successor, Trump, both talked about ending the war, but ultimately just reduced troop levels. Biden finally completed the U.S. withdrawal in 2021, honoring a deal Trump had made with the Taliban. When the withdrawal got messy, however, Biden ended up paying a political price, even though the policy had high public support.

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