One of the principal critiques of Donald Trump’s approach to foreign policy and national defense is that it lacks coherence. But in fact, Trump has a vision that is both coherent and overdue. The overarching goal is to provide American citizens with the best return on the tax dollars they pay into the U.S. Treasury, which should be used by our federal government to carry out its constitutional obligations.

This approach is both a fiduciary duty of our chief executive and in our national interest. It is also conceptually simple and morally right, and justly serves as the foundation of the Trump realpolitik.

Ensuring a positive return on taxpayer dollars is more than just an obligation of government; it is the quintessential purpose of government, whether those dollars are spent in the areas of security, prosperity, justice or general welfare. Why else have our social compact, where taxpayers are essentially investors in our government and way of life? It doesn’t matter whether these dollars are spent on international or domestic programs. Trump’s focus on a fair, positive return for U.S. citizens transcends the increasingly fuzzy divide of domestic, foreign and multilateral policies. So his approach is not just a coherent foreign policy approach, it is a coherent overall policy approach.