Before the founding of the United States, which was formed with the end of the American Revolution, there was no foreign policy for the new American state. However, this changed with the formation of the same. Politics then was mainly based on regional interests and had no regard for the international scene. This, however, occurred with the advent of the Spanish-American War. What should however be noted is that regional politics had in its ideals the goal of creating an "Empire of Freedom". Department of Foreign Affairs. This was soon thereafter renamed the Department of State, while the title of Secretary of Foreign Affairs was renamed Secretary of State. This saw the return of Thomas Jefferson from France so that he could head the department. Before World War I, US foreign policy remained largely insular. This however saw pragmatic changes from the isolationist nature at the end of the war to the outbreak of the Second World War. At this point the United States was gaining ground as a world power, a fact that was no longer in question by the end of the Cold War (Herring, 2008). There has, however, been a notable shift from a realistic school of thought about the United States to an idealistic school. These changes have been most notable since the 19th century and have become mostly regarded as the Wilsonian school of international relations (Russell, 2000). Foreign policies have in common the concepts of observing good faith, ensuring that all nations are met with justice as well as the cultivation of peace and harmony with all. They also struggle against incorrigible antagonisms against sp...... middle of paper ....... These changes have seen politics shift from a bipolar to a multipolar objective. This may be the reason behind President Barack Obama's expression of desire to mend relations with the Muslim world. This occurred despite continued U.S. foreign policy irritation toward the Arab world to this day. To this end, US foreign policy has received both positive and negative reception around the world. References Herring, G. C. (2008). From colony to superpower: United States foreign relations since 1776. Depression.Oxford University Press.Manela, E. (2009). The Wilsonian moment. Self-determination and the international origins of anticolonial nationalism (p. 331). Oxford University Press.Russell, R. (2000). American Diplomatic Realism: A Tradition Practiced and Preached by George F. Kennan. Diplomacy and Statecraft, 11(3), 159. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.