America's Foreign Policy Practice Exam 2025 - Free Practice Questions and Study Guide

The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), proposed by President Ronald Reagan in 1983, was primarily a proposal for a missile defense system. Its objective was to develop a sophisticated anti-ballistic missile system that could protect the United States from nuclear missile attacks. The initiative was envisioned to use ground-based and space-based systems to intercept and destroy incoming missiles before they could reach their targets, thus providing a protective shield against potential threats, particularly from the Soviet Union.

This proposal represented a significant shift in U.S. defense policy during the Cold War, emphasizing advanced technology and the potential deployment of space-based systems. The SDI aimed to deter the Soviet Union by making it clear that the U.S. could defend itself against nuclear strikes, which contributed to the broader strategy of achieving military superiority during a time of heightened tensions between the two superpowers.

While the other options touch on various aspects of U.S. foreign policy during the Cold War era, they do not align with the primary focus of the Strategic Defense Initiative. For example, arms reduction initiatives and diplomatic approaches aimed at reducing tensions were indeed part of the broader context of U.S.-Soviet relations, but they are distinctly different from the technological defense strategy embodied in the SDI.