Too often, when it comes to our politics, Americans are apt to think of domestic policy and foreign policy as completely separate. We can have difficult and divisive debates, we think, on what to do about abortion or how to handle healthcare, or reining in federal spending, without questioning America’s commitment to stand up to bad guys and stand up for our allies abroad.

And to be sure, we do not see the same partisan divides on foreign policy: Republicans and Democrats both seem to agree these days on the need to play hardball with China and to support Ukraine against Russia. In reality, however, it is impossible to fully separate foreign policy and domestic policy issues since problems in the domestic sphere are sure to create troubles abroad.