The Biden Doctrine — What Remains, Two Years After

Two years after Joe Biden left office, the operating principles of his foreign policy — the "Biden Doctrine" — have crystallised in the accounts of his former NSC staff.

The five principles

1. Alliances first. Every serious foreign-policy problem was first framed as an alliance-management problem. Ukraine, Israel-Gaza, Taiwan, AUKUS all followed this pattern. Multilateral before bilateral, bilateral before unilateral.
2. Deterrence through capability. The 2022 defence budget added $56B to the topline for combat-credible forces in the Indo-Pacific. The AUKUS submarine deal was the marquee expression.
3. China as long-term competitor, not immediate adversary. Managed competition, guarded engagement, sustained mil-mil dialogue at the working level.
4. Domestic strength as foreign-policy foundation. The IRA, CHIPS Act, and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law were foreign-policy tools. Every semiconductor fab on U.S. soil is a hedge against Taiwan Strait conflict.
5. Democracy as strategic frame. The Summit for Democracy, the Ukraine coalition, and the Africa Leaders Summit all framed U.S. interests through the democratic-solidarity lens.

What lasted

The alliances. NATO is at 32 members and 2%+ average defence spend. AUKUS is on schedule. The Quad meets quarterly.

What did not

The Democracy vs. Autocracy frame. The current administration has explicitly abandoned it. Whether the framework returns after 2028 depends entirely on the primary result.