Which policy approach characterized Nixon's foreign policy?

• A. Containment
• B. Detente
• C. Isolationism
• D. Interventionism

Answer: (B)

The main idea being tested is Nixon’s move toward détente—a shift toward easing Cold War tensions through diplomacy and arms-control measures rather than through sheer confrontation. He pursued this by opening relations with China in 1972 and by engaging the Soviet Union in strategic talks that produced the SALT I treaty, aiming to slow the arms race and create a more stable balance of power. These actions show a deliberate effort to manage competition with rival powers and reduce the risk of confrontation, even while opposing communism ideologically. Other approaches don’t fit as well: isolationism would mean withdrawing from global affairs, and interventionism would mean expanding military actions abroad, whereas détente centers on diplomacy and negotiated limits to tension.