Alexander Hamilton and American Foreign Policy (The Heritage Foundation)

(Source: The Heritage Foundation) As one of the most penetrating and wide-ranging of America's political thinkers, Alexander Hamilton thought seriously about foreign policy, examining it in light of both the fundamental principles of the American regime and the unchanging truths of human nature. The government's first duty, he argued, is to safeguard the national interest, which includes the nation's independence, power, and prosperity-but also its reputation or honor. Nonetheless, Hamilton recognized that the national interest had to be limited and guided by a respect for the principles of justice. Moreover, under the right circumstances, he believed that a nation could act benevolently by...