Why National Security?

The first 200 words of this essay...

Christen Hall

World Politics

Dr. Brennan

November 3, 2003

Why National Security?

Because of its role as a (if not the) major world superpower, the United States must carefully consider its national foreign policy goals. Although they may be carried out very differently from administration to administration, the primary goals of American foreign policy (in their most general senses) are most effective when they remain constant over time. Historically, the United States has pursued a number of foreign policy goals, but one goal has been and continues to be a primary goal of every generation: national security. Why is the pursuit of national security-the protecting of territorial integrity, including American values, lives, property, and way of life--essential to U.S. foreign policy?

The Realists point to several factors that demonstrate the importance of national security. They begin by declaring that humans are naturally aggressive and instinctively fight one another. This human tendency reveals the inevitable nature of war; thus, it also clearly points to the need for strong national security to protect oneself in times of such aggression. The Realists also point out that the world system is anarchic and that states are