America's Foreign Policy Practice Exam 2025 – Comprehensive Test Prep

The primary focus of America's strategy of enlargement is to promote democracy and market economies. This strategy emerged in the context of the post-Cold War era and was largely driven by the belief that expanding democratic governance and free-market principles could lead to greater global stability and prosperity. By supporting the establishment of democratic institutions and a free-market economy in other countries, the United States aims to create a network of allied nations that share similar values and systems, which in turn can foster international cooperation and security.

Focusing on democracy and market economies helps to integrate nations into a global framework of economic interdependence, reducing the likelihood of conflict. Moreover, this approach is grounded in the idea that democracies tend to be more peaceful and can better contribute to a rules-based international order.

While strengthening military alliances and establishing global peacekeeping forces are important aspects of U.S. foreign policy, they are not the primary focus of the enlargement strategy. Similarly, increasing trade tariffs contradicts the principles of free-market expansion and economic cooperation that enlargement seeks to promote.