American Politics

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American Politics Foreign Policy

• Instructor - Dennis Hart, Ph.D.
• Session 6 - Early US Foreign Policy and
  Isolationism

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Session 6 - Early US Foreign Policy

• Most Americans believe that US foreign policy can
  be divided into two basic periods of time
• Isolationism - 1789 to 1945.
• US did not interfere/engage with rest of world.
• Globalism - 1945 to present.
• US is responsible for being a policeman for the
  rest of the world.

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Session 6 - Early US Foreign Policy

• For many Americans, Isolationism means a period
  of time when America did not initiate activity or
  become involved in foreign affairs.
• The US left most of the world alone most of the
  time.
• The US mainly reacted to aggression, attacks on
  itself.

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Session 6 - Early US Foreign Policy

• Problems with isolationism.
• Beliefs do not match historical reality.
• Americans see pre/post 1945 as separate and
  distinct. They do not see patterns/trends
  throughout 220 years of United States foreign
  policy history.
• America is seen as an object of others actions,
  not a pro-active, or belligerent super-power.
• Many Americans believe that the US rarely acts
  first, instead it reacts to events.
• For example, when 9/11 attacks occurred, most
  American people could not understand the event
  was people reacting against US foreign policy.
  Instead, Americans saw it as they hate our
  freedom.

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Session 6 - Early US Foreign Policy

• Key patterns/trends in US foreign policy.
• Faith in inherent goodness and morality of US
  government, politics, society, and values.
• Belief that US has the best form of government
  and economics.

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Session 6 - Early US Foreign Policy

• Key patterns/trends in US foreign policy.
• Belief that the US can and should export/spread
  its form of government and economics to other
  countries.
• The US has moral obligation to teach and help
  other people in the world. If they resist/refuse,
  something is wrong with them.
• Enemies of US are evil and a threat to our
  existence.

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Session 6 - Early US Foreign Policy

• The world according to the USA. ( Bombed here)

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Session 6 - Early US Foreign Policy

• Isolationism?
• The US started with 13 states and now has 50.
• Louisiana and Alaskan Purchases
• Hawaiian Islands

1789
Today
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Session 6 - Early US Foreign Policy

• US and Native Americans, 1860-1890.

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Session 6 - Early US Foreign Policy

• US and Latin America

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Session 6 - Early US Foreign Policy

• US and Philippine Islands.

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Session 6 - Early US Foreign Policy

• US, Japan, China, late 1800s to early 1900s.

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Session 6 - Early US Foreign Policy

• Other US major actions while isolationist.
• War of 1812.
• Mexican-American War.
• Spanish-American War.
• World War I.
• Russian Revolution.
• World War II.
• Do all these fit the definition of isolationism?

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Session 6 - Early US Foreign Policy

• Rise of US Hegemony.
• 1944 Bretton Woods.
• World War II almost over.
• Britain, past hegemon, is exhausted from the war.
• France, Japan, Germany are in ruins.
• US begins to plan and build its hegemony based
  upon its own political and economic system.

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Session 6 - Early US Foreign Policy

• US visions for its hegemony.
• Economic goals
• Global capitalism.
• Interdependence through trade.
• Industrialization mass production.
• International financial arrangements to finance
  above.
• Structures established to achieve goals.
• International Bank of Reconstruction and
  Development.
• International Monetary Fund.
• General Agreement of Tariffs and Trade.
• Plan was to encourage greater global integration.

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Session 6 - Early US Foreign Policy

• US visions for its hegemony.
• Political goals
• Spread democracy.
• Encourage world peace.
• Foster international cooperation.
• Oppose communism by building bulwarks and
  containing it.
• Structures established to achieve goals.
• United Nations.
• World Court.
• Series of military alliances, treaties, and
  bases.
• Political vision divided the world into 2 rival,
  ideological camps. This directly undermined
  economic vision of US hegemony.

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Session 6 - Early US Foreign Policy

• Hyper-militarization of US hegemony.
• Arms sales throughout world.
• Establishment of bases throughout the world.
• Cold war between US and SU.
• Not a direct conflict.
• Zero-sum mentality.
• Fear and mutual threats.
• Use of proxies to fight Cold War.

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Session 6 - Early US Foreign Policy