American Foreign & Defense Policy

American Foreign & Defense Policy

Early Thoughts… • Sam Adams • “Even when there is a necessity of military power…a wise and prudent people will always have a watchful eye over it”

Early Thoughts… • Elbridge Gerry • “standing armies in time of peace are inconsistent with the principles of republican governments, dangerous to the liberties of a free people, and generally converted into destructive engines for establishing despotism”

Early Thoughts… • Alexander Hamilton • “a dangerous and expensive undertaking”

Early Thoughts… • James Madison • A standing military force…will not long be safe companions to liberty. The means of defense against foreign danger have always been the instruments of tyranny at home.

Civil-Military Problematique The very thing that is designed to protect a polity can become its greatest threat

Solutions?

The Reality of Foreign Policy • Early U.S. Foreign Policy was a mixture of • Realism (Pursuing American Interests) and • Idealism (Carrying Out American Ideals) • with a strong rejection of traditional Imperialism. • Instances of Realism: • Barbary Wars (1801 – 1805; 1815) • Louisiana Purchase (1803) • War of 1812 • U.S. Mexican War (1846 – 1848)

Interests Win #1: The Barbary Wars • Ideal: Not having an external military presence • Event: North African Berber States captured U.S. ships for slaves and ransom. • Problematic: In 1800, more than 15% of the federal budget was used for tribute payments. • Action: Improve the U.S. Navy

Interests Win #2: The Louisiana Purchase • Ideal: The President should be passive • Event: French offer to sell Louisiana to U.S. • Practical Goals: Get Europeans out – and avoid entanglement in European conflicts • Washington’s Farewell Address • The Monroe Doctrine (1823) • Problematic: This was a huge opportunity, too good to pass up

A Case for Pragmatism: The Louisiana Purchase Action: Jefferson makes the Purchase

Interests Win #3: The War of 1812 • Chesapeake – Leopard Affair • Despite clear political interests, a sense of humiliation contributed to the U.S. declaration of war against the United Kingdom.

Ideals Win #1: The Quest for Mexican Oil • Interest: The United States needed petroleum • Event: Mexico nationalizes petroleum industry in 1938, making it harder to get oil, and British wanted to invade • Tempting: Seized oil will be cheaper • Problematic: Seizure violates the ideal of voluntary trade • Idealistic Action: The U.S. restrains Great Britain and negotiates oil trade with Mexico

Ideals Win #2: The Suez Canal Controversy • Interest: The United States want to keep global trade going. • Event: Egypt nationalizes the Suez Canal in 1956, potentially choking off 10% of global trade; Britain, Israel and France invade. • Tempting: Western control would be more convenient • Problematic: Seizure violates the ideal of Good Neighbor policy • Idealistic Action: The U.S. restrains military action

Also a Conflict between Politics and the People • Politicians like Wilson knew that the public dislikes Interventionism – making it difficult to balance interests and ideals Prepare for War 1916 Campaign on Peace

Joining the Rest of the World – the End of Isolationism • Beginning with Franklin D. Roosevelt – the United States reevaluate their role in the World: • Political Elites start to see Isolationism as problematic • The United States have a shared responsibility for mankind • U.S. Power as a force for good in the World • Switch from Quincy Adams "Americans should not go abroad to slay dragons they do not understand in the name of spreading democracy“ – to Idealism

VS. The American Century • 1945 puts the Unites States into a position of unique opportunity: • First, a global power shift from • With the defeat of Fascism, the World is split between the U.S. led West and the Communist Block under the Soviet Union (behind the “Iron Curtain”).

Full Engagement replaces Isolationism • With the exception of the United States, the Industrial World laid in ruins after WWII. • Used power to build institutions to preserve global peace: • The United Nations (UN) • The World Bank • The International Monetary Fund (IMF) • General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which became the World Trade Organization (WTO) • The Marshall Plan • Engagement should replace War.

This Policy led to mixed results • Some initiatives were clearly a success: • The reconstruction of Europe • Globalization • The prevention of Nuclear War • Victory in the Cold War • “Idealistic” Wars – Humanitarian Intervention (Middle East, Balkans,…) • Others, however, were less successful: • No Third World War, but a Third World’s War • Instability due to rapid decolonization

American Hegemony ruled the day • No decision on a global scale can be made without U.S. consent. • The U.S. are the only state that can almost immediately project power (military, political, economic) everywhere on the globe • In short: From refusing to join the World System, the United States became its main proponent • The U.S. are (were?) the global “Ordnungsmacht – the Order Maker

Being the World’s superpower comes at a price! • Strong military buildup

Ultimately, on what does U.S. Power rest? • Is it this? Or this? • No, the answer to this question is in everyone’s pocket.

The true source of American Power

More than just a currency! • Backed up by the power of the U.S. economy • Ticket to economic security (global reserve currency)

Made possible by the strength of the U.S. Economy

U.S. Power is waning • Economic power is declining: • From being the world’s biggest creditor, beginning with the seventies the nation became the world’s biggest debtor. • By 2020, the U.S. will spend more on debt interest than on its military. • By 2015, Interest payments to China alone will cover the cost of the Chinese army.

If Money drains, Power drains • U.S. dependence on others reduces its ability to act as the global order maker. • It will become harder to push for American ideals like • Democracy • Human Rights • Capitalism • on a global scale.

American Foreign & Defense Policy