George Washington’s foreign policy was built on respect for other nations and patient consideration of future burdens

For the nation’s first president, friendliness was strategy, not concession: the republic would treat other nations with civility in order to remain independent of their appetites and quarrels.

By: Maurizio Valsania, Università di Torino, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: January 9, 2026

Words: 1,341

Last Updated: 18 hours, 59 minutes ago

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By Maurizio Valsania, Università di Torino

Foreign policy is usually discussed as a matter of national interests – oil flows, borders, treaties, fleets. But there is a problem: “national interest” is an inherently ambiguous phrase. Although it is often presented as an expression of sheer force, its effectiveness ultimately rests on something softer – the manner in which a government performs moral authority and projects credibility to the world.

The style of that performance …

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