ABSTRACT
American national security policy continues to evolve. Since the 2016 election, it has entered a new international and domestic political environment in which influences inside and outside the country have accentuated an “intermestic” situation to which the country must adapt. The strongest manifestation of this weakness has been the slow growth of the American and global economies, which has further served to exacerbate underlying dysfunctions, and the political battle over domestic priorities, including national security posture and actions. The nature of the international threat that faces the United States should be thought of as a variable rather than as a constant. The position of the United States in the world order is not fundamentally threatened by international or domestic forces, but that order does contain enough troubling elements to demand continued engagement. The chapter shows how the influences are relevant to the national security condition.
