An American political term; someone who wishes to focus on domestic issues at the expense of foreign affairs. Isolationism was once prevalent - it kept the US out of most of WWI ("Europe's intramural squabble") and ended Woodrow Wilson's bid to have the US join the League of Nations. It galvanized America First, in the 30s/40s. To do it now, the US would have to quit the UN (to whom they already owe $1.5B) and end commitments to foreign aid, the IMF, etc. Imperial inertia now prevails.