Kennedy's foreign policy, known as the Flexible Response doctrine, involved using all means necessary - including military, economic, covert and diplomatic actions - to oppose the spread of communism and assure liberty's survival globally. The six stages of Flexible Response were: 1) maintaining nuclear weapons while pursuing alternatives to deterrence, 2) increasing conventional weapons and special forces like the Green Berets, 3) economic aid programs like the Alliance for Progress, 4) the Peace Corps to promote democracy, and 5) diplomacy to solve problems through communication.