Foreign Policy Essays: How to Write a Powerful Paper

If Political science is your major in college or you take a government class in school, you will definitely be asked to talk about foreign policy and write papers on this topic.

What should you get ready for when it comes to writing papers on foreign policy? First of all, you should have solid background knowledge, and it refers not only to some current events in foreign policy, but also to some historical issues.

Second, to write a good foreign policy essay, it is important to have own position on various foreign policy-related questions.

Unfortunately, we cannot help you with background knowledge, but we can explain what main steps you need to take to prepare a good foreign policy essay.

Step 1: Choose and Narrow Down a Topic

Foreign policy is an extremely broad and complex field. This is why it so important to be careful with the topic of your foreign policy essay and not to hurry when making a choice. We advise you to do the following to decide on a good topic idea:

• think about two countries whose relations you would like to investigate, e.g. United States and China;
• think about very specific aspects in their relations, e.g. trade.

Step 2: Develop Your Standpoint

The purposes of writing foreign policy essays can be different. You may wish just to inform the reader on something, or analyze, or argue. Yet, no matter what, your personal position is what a teacher will appreciate in the foreign policy essay the most.

Step 3: Do Research

You have to be an expert on the topic – this is how the research stage can be described in a few words. Collect information for your foreign policy essay from various sources, both printed and electronic. Make sure that you use not only textbooks, but also official documents, some laws, etc.

If you want to focus on the 1950’s in your foreign policy essay, you may start with checking our ideas for 1950’s essays or read about a US government essay.

Foreign Policy Essay Topics

Looking for ideas for your foreign policy essay? In this section, we have collected some awesome topics for your inspiration:

1. Cotemporary US foreign policy: Realism, idealism or something else?
2. The effect of the pandemic on the US foreign policy related to China.
3. Korean War: Impact on the economy and foreign politics.
4. The US foreign policy in the Middle East.
5. Climate and energy as foreign policy priorities.
6. The separation of foreign policy powers.
7. W. R. Mead: American foreign policy is Hamiltonian.
8. Russia’s influence on the development of the US cybersecurity policies.
9. Counterterrorism policies and strategies.
10. The major foreign policy challenge of the US.
11. American foreign policies related to providing humanitarian aid.
12. US foreign policy in the world economy and politics.
13. American foreign policy after the Vietnam War.
14. Obama and Trump: Differences in foreign policies concerned with immigration.
15. Attack on Pearl Harbor: Effects of foreign policy biases.
16. The United States foreign policy.
17. Evaluation of the impact of Trump’s foreign policy in the Middle East.
18. Philippine-American war issue in US foreign policy.
19. The US foreign policy: Obama and Trump administrations comparison.
20. North Korea as the US foreign policy challenge.
21. Neoconservative ideology and US foreign policy under George Bush.
22. The United Arab Emirates and Israel foreign policy.
23. US foreign policy: A response to Russia-Ukraine conflict.
24. New York and Texas: Diplomatic and foreign policies.
25. The UAE and Iran: A foreign policy for a brighter future.
26. American foreign policy in relation to global trade.
27. United States setting national security policies.
28. US foreign policy and its impact on the world economy.
29. Humanitarian crisis in Venezuela: A response from US foreign policy.
30. Presidential leadership in foreign policy-making: Obama’s decisions.
31. The United States post-9-11 foreign policies.
32. The economic and political effects of US refugee policy.
33. Policy memo: China-US relations.
34. How did the US meet post-Cold War threats to nuclear security?
35. US foreign policy to control international drug trafficking.
36. Hegemony in international politics.
37. International relations: The realist theories variety.
38. American anti-corruption foreign policy: Benefits for US businesses.
39. International relations between Australia and China.
40. American policy changes toward Canada from the 1^st World War to 1950s.
41. Arms control foreign policy as a means to maintain international order.
42. US military in Okinawa: Public interest vs. rights.
43. The responsibility to protect in the Syrian situation.
44. Has American counterterrorism foreign policy been successful?
45. Definition of national security policies in the US.
46. United States immigration policy.
47. US foreign policy focused on promoting democracy and human rights.
48. Ethical obligation to reform immigration policy.
49. What are the pressures for and against a common EU immigration policy?
50. Drinking water shortage as a foreign policy issue.
51. Is a science of international politics possible?
52. Qatar: The role of small countries in international politics.
53. Foreign policies aiming to fight maritime piracy.
54. The conflict in Syria: The ‘Responsibility to Protect’ doctrine.
55. International relationship: United States and Iran.
56. American foreign policy ensuring maritime security.
57. The policy of a world without nuclear weapons.
58. Origins of Cold War and the containment policy.
59. The role of technology and science in foreign policy.
60. The implementation of the US international policy in Afghanistan.
61. Immigration policies affecting the success of immigrants in United States and Canada.
62. Key international agreements affecting modern US foreign policy.
63. A country’s foreign and public policy analysis.
64. The current US – Mexican border policy failures.
65. National security policy issues.