“As they build on their 2022 congressional victories and eye a return to the White House in 2024, Republicans would do well to look to President Ronald Reagan’s legacy as a lodestar.”
AWC Principal at the Clements Center for National Security, Dr. Will Inboden, recently published an article in Foreign Affairs entitled, “The Fight for the Future of Republican Foreign Policy.”
Dr. Inboden offers a reminder that the struggle between isolationism and internationalism within either American political party is nothing new; rather, the historical precedent spans well into the 1930s. Yet, as the call for isolationist policies continues, the GOP should look to the historical successes of President Ronald Reagan.
“The fault lines that do exist follow the centurylong debate about the United States’ posture and purpose in the world. Republicans are still struggling between showing leadership abroad or focusing on domestic affairs.”
President Reagan’s famous “Peace Through Strength” doctrine for American foreign affairs was not simply focused on military mobilization. Instead, “…he believed ‘strength’ went beyond military power to include the United States’ values, ideas, alliances, diplomacy, and history.” It was a comprehensive creed that succeeded in overcoming international challenges.
As the GOP moves past the 2022 midterms and looks to 2024, the United States faces existential threats from China. Additionally, Russia is continuing its invasion of Ukraine–threatening United States allies and the international order which it leads.
Reagan should remain a model of successful leadership for the GOP to face these challenges that lie ahead.