8.4.1 National Interests and Foreign Policy

Should internationalism be pursued?

Big Ideas:

  • Nation-states take part in regional and global affairs for many reasons.

  • Nation and state involvement in regional and global affairs impacts individual and collective identities.

  • Internationalism can be promoted in foreign policy.


What you have hopefully learned so far is that there are a variety of motives or reasons that guide nations and nation-states to take action within international organizations and the global community at large.


The importance of these motives to a nation dictate the extent of that nation's involvement and response to world events. These motives are part of a nation’s foreign policy (the plan of action that guides a government’s decisions about official relations with other nations).

Click each of the tabs below to review each type of possible response. As you read, take notes in the 8.4.1 Notebook Organizer (found at the bottom of the page).


A foreign policy of isolationism means that a nation stays completely out of world affairs and has no dealings with other countries (non-involvement). During the 1930s, the Great Depression and great losses during World War I pushed the United States to advocate for a policy of isolationism from international conflicts. Today, especially in our interconnected world, to be completely isolationist is rare and difficult to achieve.


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Unilateralism is when a country responds to world events on their own. This may happen when a country doesn’t want help, or when it can’t convince other nations to support their proposed action(s). An example of unilateralism is when, in 2016, when President-elect Donald Trump announced the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership (TPP) invalid without consulting other member countries.


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When two countries are motivated by the same goals or priorities, they may engage in bilateralism. For example, Finland has bilateral development cooperation agreements with developing countries such as Ethiopia and Nepal to help foster stability and improve research and education.


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Multilateralism is when many countries work together to achieve a shared goal or are motivated by similar reasons. Global trade agreements, the Kyoto Protocol, and NAFTA are all examples of multilateralismat work.


© Creative Commons
*supranationalism is always multilateral. It is a type of internationalism that goes beyond nations' sovereignty and self-interests. Read on!

It can be difficult to make a decision and take action when many nations attempt to resolve conflict or achieve a goal. When nations agree to accept decisions made by an international organization, this is called supranationalism. A nation who is a member of a supranational organization gives the organization power to make some decisions for them. If you click the image to the left (or here), you will see how the supranational European bodies, including NATO are connected.

An example of a supranational organization is the European Union (EU). The EU has 28 member nations who are united under common values and goals. As part of the EU, nations are expected to follow the rules made by EU parliament, which takes power over the nation's own governing body. When Britain voted to leave the EU, pro-Brexit groups argued that they didn't like the EU making decisions on their behalf. They didn't like the rules Britain was forced to follow as a nation within the EU.

As you can see from the tabs above, a nation’s approach to foreign policy is on a spectrum from involvement to non-involvement and is based on their motives (reasons) and national self-interest. When deciding how to respond to the global community, a country must take into account numerous considerations, especially the needs of its people.

Non-Involvement Involvement
  • Isolationism
  • Unilateralism
  • Bilateralism
  • Multilateralism
  • Supranationalism*

* remember, supranationalism is always multilateral. It is a type of internationalism that goes beyond nations' sovereignty and self-interests.

In the 1930s, the entire world was hit with the economic downturn of the Great Depression. Governments were more concerned with trying to meet the desperate needs of their own people, such as unemployment, food supply and access, and homelessness. While nations focused on their own people, there was less attention paid to issues elsewhere, and even less willingness to become involved in external affairs. In some cases, national leaders such as Adolf Hitler were able to use the fears of people as motivation for expansion both in militarism and national borders.

Nations faced with the complex issues of the world community may respond in various ways. A country's choice of involvement or non-involvement can have positive and negative effects with both anticipated and unanticipated results.


Go to your textbook, Understanding Nationalism, and read pages 210 to 213. These pages will further your understanding of foreign policy when addressing internationalism.
Take notes on the 8.4.1 Notebook Organizer (Word, PDF, Google Doc) about what you have read in the textbook and on this page (if you need help on how to take notes, click here). When you are done, return here to continue.