What is the role of the nation state in protecting human rights, securing peace, and shaping global order—and where do morality and religion fit into that mission?

In this episode of Tocqueville Talks, Brent Nelson is joined by three Furman University Tocqueville Fellows—Nathan Johnson (junior, Politics and History, Atlanta, GA), Michaela Valentine (senior, Politics and International Affairs and Spanish, Boone, NC), and Sim Colson (senior, Politics and History, Jacksonville, FL; incoming graduate student at Ohio State University)—for a wide-ranging conversation on religion and American foreign policy.

Drawing on insights from Wheaton College professor Mark Amstutz and his book Building World Order, the discussion centers on a fundamental question: is the nation state still the best institution for securing human rights, prosperity, and peace in today’s world?

The Fellows explore the strengths and limits of nation states, the role of international institutions like the United Nations, and the growing tension between national sovereignty and global cooperation. They also reflect on how their generation views issues like immigration, nationalism, and cosmopolitanism differently from previous eras.

The conversation then turns to the moral dimension of foreign policy. What role should individual conscience, religious belief, and moral formation play in shaping global affairs? Can a nation act morally without becoming ideological—or even dangerous?

Throughout the episode, the Fellows wrestle with some of the most pressing questions in international relations today: • Are nation states the best guarantors of human rights and security?

• What limits do international institutions like the UN face?
• Is today’s generation more skeptical of global cooperation?
• How should individuals serve the world—through government, markets, or civil society?
• Can morality guide foreign policy without becoming coercive or hypocritical?
• Does the United States still have a moral mission in the world?

The result is a thoughtful and candid student-driven conversation that highlights both the complexity of global politics and the importance of forming individuals capable of navigating it.