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The Atlantic ·Behind the news

What Biden Changed About American Foreign Policy

by Thomas Wright

Published 2026-07-07 07:00:00-04:00

If the old rules of global cooperation are gone, what should take their place?

0:00 / 12:11 · Narrator Algieba

Context

Published on 7 July 2026, this piece traces a transformation in Democratic strategy that often went unnoticed beneath the rhetoric of restoration. Although the Biden administration spoke of returning to a familiar order, the governing reality moved toward a gritty industrial realism and direct competition with China. The analysis observes a growing friction as a progressive wing questions whether this competitive stance is a necessary response to a more dangerous era or a framework that sidelines global cooperation.

Show notes

An account of the Biden administration’s shift away from post–Cold War foreign policy norms and the emerging progressive challenge to that legacy. The transition from neoliberal trade assumptions toward industrial policy and strategic competition with China and Russia is contrasted with an ascending progressive vision. This alternative prioritizes global cooperation, military restraint, and a fundamental reassessment of the U.S. relationship with Israel.

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