NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY and abuse of power, allows families to live with- power with enormous advantages and momen- out fear, and permits markets to thrive. tum in the world. Success, however, bred complacency. A belief emerged, among many, that Our founding principles have made the United American power would be unchallenged and self– States of America among the greatest forces for sustaining. The United States began to drift. We good in history. But we are also aware that we experienced a crisis of confidence and surren- must protect and build upon our accomplish- dered our advantages in key areas. As we took ments, always conscious of the fact that the inter- our political, economic, and military advan- ests of the American people constitute our true tages for granted, other actors steadily imple- North Star. mented their long-term plans to challenge America America’s achievements and standing in the world and to advance agendas opposed to the United were neither inevitable nor accidental. On many States, our allies, and our partners. occasions, Americans have had to compete with We stood by while countries exploited the interna- adversarial forces to preserve and advance our tional institutions we helped to build. They subsi- security, prosperity, and the principles we hold dized their industries, forced technology transfers, dear. At home, we fought the Civil War to end slav- and distorted markets. These and other actions ery and preserve our Union in the long strug- challenged America’s economic security. At home, gle to extend equal rights for all Americans. In excessive regulations and high taxes stifled growth the course of the bloodiest century in human his- and weakened free enterprise—history’s great- tory, millions of Americans fought, and hun- est antidote to poverty. Each time government dreds of thousands lost their lives, to defend lib- encroached on the productive activities of private erty in two World Wars and the Cold War. America, commerce, it threatened not only our prosperity with our allies and partners, defeated fascism, but also the spirit of creation and innovation that imperialism, and Soviet communism and elimi- has been key to our national greatness. nated any doubts about the power and durability of republican democracy when it is sustained by a free, proud, and unified people. A Competitive World The United States consolidated its militar y victories with political and economic triumphs The United States will respond to the growing built on market economies and fair trade, dem- political, economic, and military competitions we ocratic principles, and shared security partner- face around the world. ships. American political, business, and military China and Russia challenge American power, influ- leaders worked together with their counterparts ence, and interests, attempting to erode American in Europe and Asia to shape the post-war order security and prosperity. They are determined to through the United Nations, the Marshall Plan, the make economies less free and less fair, to grow North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and their militaries, and to control information and other institutions designed to advance our shared data to repress their societies and expand their interests of security, freedom, and peace. We recog- influence. At the same time, the dictatorships of nize the invaluable advantages that our strong rela- the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the tionships with allies and partners deliver. Islamic Republic of Iran are determined to desta- Following the remarkable victory of free nations in bilize regions, threaten Americans and our allies, the Cold War, America emerged as the lone super- and brutalize their own people. Transnational 2