The Four Ages of American Foreign Policy

Terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington D.C. on September 11, 2001, launched the United States into three wars: a global war on terror; a war in Afghanistan; and a war against Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq. In both Afghanistan and Iraq American efforts to install stable, democratic, friendly governments encountered opposition, and the United States found itself fighting against insurgencies in both places. In 2008, a severe financial crisis struck America, which led to a prolonged global recession. By the end of this period, Russia, China, and Iran had begun to mount serious challenges to American interests in Europe, East Asia, and the Middle East respectively. This brought an end to the fourth age of American foreign policy--