Introduction: Polarization and America’s Role in the World

Polarization in the United States has been on the rise for several decades. In this context, few observers expect politics today to stop “at the water’s edge,” as the old cliché goes. However, key questions about the relationship between polarization and U.S. foreign policy remain to be fully answered. To what extent are American ideas about foreign policy now polarized along partisan lines? How is polarization changing the foreign policy behavior of the U.S. Congress and President? And how is polarization altering the effectiveness of U.S. foreign policy and influencing America’s role in the world? This edited volume provides an overview of key debates and existing knowledge about these questions, highlights important new findings from recent research, and suggests avenues for further study of this increasingly important topic.