Editing Foreign policy (section)

=== Defense ===
Foreign policy is often directed for the purpose of ensuring [[national security]].<ref name="onlinelibrary"/> Governments forming [[military alliance]]s with foreign states in order to [[Deterrence theory|deter]] and show stronger resistance to attack.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Leeds |first=Brett Ashley |date=1 July 2003 |title=Do Alliances Deter Aggression? The Influence of Military Alliances on the Initiation of Militarized Interstate Disputes |journal=[[American Journal of Political Science]] |language=en |volume=47 |issue=3 |pages=427–439 |doi=10.1111/1540-5907.00031 |issn=1540-5907}}</ref> Foreign policy also focuses on combating adversarial states through [[soft power]], [[international isolation]], or [[war]].

In the 21st century, defensive foreign policy has expanded to address the threat of global [[terrorism]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Lai |first=Brian |date=2017 |title=Terrorism and Foreign Policy |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Savun |first1=Burcu |last2=Phillips |first2=Brian J. |year=2009 |title=Democracy, Foreign Policy, and Terrorism |journal=[[Journal of Conflict Resolution]] |volume=53 |issue=6 |pages=878–904|doi=10.1177/0022002709342978 |s2cid=154846148 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Silke |first=Andrew |title=Terrorists, Victims and Society: Psychological Perspectives on Terrorism and its Consequences |publisher=[[John Wiley & Sons]] |year=2003 |pages=215–232 |chapter=Retaliating Against Terrorism}}</ref>