D. Identify the ideals expressed by the policy's goals is the most important step to evaluate a U.S. policy's likelihood of promoting the spread of democracy around the world. The promotion of democracy is often one of the key goals of U.S. foreign policy. By identifying the ideals expressed by the policy's goals, it can be determined how strongly the U.S. is committed to promoting democracy in a particular region or country. Additionally, it can help to identify whether the policy is likely to be successful in promoting democracy or whether it may have unintended consequences that could undermine democracy promotion efforts.