==American history==
[[American foreign policy]] was realist from 1776 to 1914, then shifted to idealistic or [[Wilsonian]] modes. For realists, security is based on the principle of a balance of economic and [[military]] power, and control of strategic assets (such as the [[Panama Canal]]). Realists say reliance on morality as the main determining factor in [[statecraft ]] is impractical. According to the Wilsonians, on the other hand, the spread of democracy abroad as a foreign policy is key and morals are universally valid.
During the [[Clinton administration|Clinton]] and [[George W. Bush administration|George W. Bush presidencies]], American diplomacy reflected the Wilsonian school to such a degree that those in favor of the realist approach likened the policies to "foreign policy social work." U.S. foreign policy shifted again in a realist direction under the presidency of [[Donald Trump]].