Which policy describes extending a country's power through diplomacy or military force?

• A. Nationalism
• B. Isolationism
• C. Imperialism
• D. Democracy

Answer: (C)

Extending a country's power through diplomacy or military force is imperialism. This approach aims to broaden influence beyond a nation's borders by using negotiations, treaties, protectorates, or direct conquest to gain control or access to resources, markets, and strategic positions. In U.S. history around the turn of the 20th century, imperialist moves included acquiring overseas territories and seeking economic footholds abroad, sometimes backed by military action and other times through diplomatic means like the Open Door Policy to secure influence in Asia. The other terms describe different ideas: nationalism centers on pride and unity within the nation, isolationism means staying out of foreign entanglements, and democracy refers to a system of government, not a policy of expansion. Imperialism best matches the description of extending power through both diplomacy and force.