In American foreign policy, security, prosperity, and creating a better world are the three most important goals that policymakers try to achieve. To achieve these objectives, policy makers use foreign policy instruments. These instruments include intelligence gathering, diplomacy, use of military force, covert actions, economic governance, and cultural and moral influences (18). The instruments fall into two different categories, either hard power or soft power. Hard power is the use of force in the form of military threats and economic incentives or sanctions. Similarly, soft power attempts to achieve its goal without resorting to force, but instead uses its words to get the other country to reach an agreement on the goal (28). Each of these instruments is used in different situations and plays its own role in foreign policy. Each foreign policy instrument is a necessary option, but it is generally incapable of achieving the desired objective on its own and needs help from the other instruments. Using multiple instruments simultaneously to solve a problem helps policymakers make more accurate and clearer considered decisions about how to solve a problem and can ultimately save the United States' lives. citizens, as well as their money and resources. The collection of intelligence relating to national security, diplomacy and moral and cultural persuasion are considered soft power. One of the most important instruments of foreign policy is a state's intelligence capacity, because making reasonable choices from intelligence gains leads to success in international affairs. National security intelligence involves collecting and analyzing information about global events and conditions. Using soft power as a first attempt, then having to use hard power to force a resolution if all else fails, creating a better, peaceful world is always the best solution. final objective. The instruments alone cannot be as useful to policy makers as they could be if used together. The instruments all rely on each other to reach their full potential. The best solution to solving problems in international affairs is to use national intelligence to obtain accurate information about the problem and the actors involved in it, proposing several different strategies to solve this problem, such as negotiations, treaties of peace, embargoes and the withdrawal of military force. and threats as a last resort. Works Cited Johnson, Loch K. 1942-. American Foreign Policy and the Challenges of Global Leadership. Power, principle and constitution. New York: Oxford UP, 2015. Print.