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Evaluate Which Perspective, Realism And Realism Influence US Foreign Policy?

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2. Evaluate which perspective, realist or liberal, has dominated the foreign policy of the United States since World War II. Ensure that you differentiate between rhetoric and reality in your analysis.

Theory provides a road map for navigating the complex, strategic interactions amongst states. The predominate theories of international relations, realism and e liberalism, are based upon a distinct set of assumptions, which lead to an equally unique set of ways to achieve coherency in U.S. foreign policy. Without theories to simplify these strategic interactions, the speed and unpredictability of world events would paralyze decision-making. Therefore, understanding the main arguments behind each theory, and how their different policy prescriptions have influenced U.S. foreign policy, is crucial to analyzing future strategic options. To that end, the realist perspective, albeit cloaked in liberal rhetoric, has dominated U.S. foreign policy since World War II. During the Cold War, each presidential administration used liberal principles to …show more content…

From these theories a unique set of policy prescriptions emerge, which informs the policymaker how to best develop a plan of action. The American tradition lies with the realist perspective; it inwardly embraces the cold calculus of power, but outwardly prefers that its policies resonate with the democratic ideals of freedom and prosperity. This struggle between rhetoric and deed has brought about fluctuations and, at times, inconsistencies in U.S. foreign policy. Despite the challenges inherent to formulating foreign policy in a liberal democracy, the vast majority of American Presidents have effectively employed the realist perspective to chart a course towards a more secure

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In the aftermath of WWII, the US stood as one of the few powers relatively unharmed, as well as the sole nation in possession of nuclear weapons. This afforded the US a great degree of power and leadership in the world. However the USSR was another great power that managed to avoid much destruction from the war, and besides being ideologically opposed, matters were complicated after the USSR developed nuclear weapons for itself. This prompted the formulation of a new foreign policy. Document 7 states that the US “must organize and enlist the energies and resources of the free world in a positive program for peace which will frustrate the Kremlin design for world domination.”

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... Behind closed doors, however, the elites who make national security policy speak mostly the language of power, not that of principle. ... In essence, a discernible gap separates public rhetorics from the actual conduct of American foreign policy.” [ John Mearsheimer, The Tragedy of Great Power Politics, New York: W. W. Norton, 2001] 2.2.1 Realism Policies and Liberalism Rhetorics Foreign policies also produce soft power when they promote broadly shared values such as democracy and human rights. Americans have wrestled with how to integrate our values with other interests since the early days of the republic.

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The Jacksonian Tradition is a positive attribute of American political culture in foreign policy. Jacksonianism provides a realist perspective that puts the security of the nation and the preservation of the community first over international institutions and establishment. The ideology of Jacksonianism provides a powerful ally to the US during times of national crisis and stability in international relations. Through the use of aggressive foreign policy action, allowed US influence to dominate in international relations. This essay will work to explain the merits of Jacksonianism and the core foundations in foreign policy.

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“Wilsonianism” is an ideology on foreign policy that aims to make the world a better place and create world peace. Walter LaFeber describes it as, “Making the world safe for democracy, free trade, and capitalism.” Throughout much of history this has been a goal for the United States of America. In fact, this premise produced the historiographical perspective of the Domestic is Foreign and Vice Versa. Four documents specifically relate to how “Wilsonianism” produced the perspective of the Domestic is Foreign and Vice Versa, Wilsons Fourteen Points, the Atlantic Charter, the Truman Doctrine, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

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Idealism emphasizes the promotion of values such as democracy, human rights, and international cooperation. It emphasizes the moral and ethical dimensions of foreign relations and seeks to advance American interests by promoting global stability and spreading democratic ideals. Realism, on the other hand, places greater emphasis on power, national interest, and the balance of power among states. It takes a more pragmatic and skeptical view of international relations, recognizing the importance of self-interest and the limitations of idealistic

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Throughout this essay, I will analyze four different interviews of Bob Archer, Travis D’Ambrosia, Whako, and Ernesto Olguin and analyze the individual, state, and international levels of analysis, as well as their varying realist and liberalist theoretical approach, and explain other approaches that are inferior. II. Interview 1: a. Topic sentence: First, the interviewer discusses the crisis with the director of the CIA, Bob Archer. Archer gives insight of the event with China and the CIA, and during the interview, Archer discusses the individual level of analysis and take a realist approach to his job during the war. b.

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A combination of doctrines and emotions – belief in permanent and universal crisis, fear of communism, faith in the duty and right of the United States to intervene swiftly in every part of the world – had brought about an unprecedented centralization of decisions over war and peace in the presidency. ”(Schlesinger 208). Playing to the constant fear of communism emerging after World War II, presidents have used that as enough of a justification to send our troops away. Surpassing congress by saying we were in imminent danger and essentially, what

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In this essay, I will first discuss how Trump’s statement is a realist statement, as it emphasizes on the power struggle between states in an anarchic system and US’s prioritization of self-interests and pursuits of security-maximizing goals in international affairs; however, I will also examine how his statement conflicts with realism, as Trump recognizes the roles of the non-state actors, demonstrates how economic power rather than military might could impact changes in world politics, emphasizes on US’s cooperation with other states through international organizations, and pursues goals that are not only out of self-interests. I will also assess how Trump’s argument is a liberal statement, as the US seems to harbor faith in international

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Andrew Heywood, Carl Schmitt, and John Baylis et al. all offer a different take on the concepts of liberalism and realism. These are two important theories that define the modern political system. With global politics as a main staple of the current political system and governments connecting on more and more levels, an important question comes into focus: does a liberalism or realism system exist? To examine this idea and how it relates to our current political situation, one must first look at the concepts presented by Heywood, Schmitt, and Baylis.

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Looking back over the development of the Security Studies field, there can be no doubt that the realist tradition has exercised enormous influence. Even the harshest of critics can acknowledge that with their focus on power, fear, and anarchy, realist theories have provided centrally important explanations for conflict and war (Williams, 2013). One interpretation of realism that is unbroken amongst most commentators of the theory is that realists are individuals that believe the State is the principle actor in international politics and that they are very concerned with the balance of power (Marsalis, 2013). They argue that all the State’s actions and choices are a reflection of the collective will of the people, which is also an argument put

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The theory says that the national states behavior is sharply connected to the international relations. One of the most discussed developments within the theory is “democratic peace”, which argues that democratic states are not very likely to go to war with each other. The liberalism does not describe states as machines that simply wants to survive and succeed in a system characterized by uncertainty, Liberalism argues that international institutions minimize “uncertainty” in the international system. States are not only concerned of power they also have commercial interests or ideological beliefs, if war is too costly will the state calculus mean that states are less likely to military

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Idealism and Realism are two strongly opposed views of foreign policy. At the core of this opposition is the issue of power and security in politics. Realism establishes a separation between politics and ethics in order to understand and comprehend international events. Realists don’t oppose morality to politics, nor power to law, but rather oppose the utopian peaceful society to the nature of society.

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The current work is meant to explain the differences and similarities between the most dominant theories in international relations, Realism and Liberalism, both theories have some similarities and differences but much more important and interesting is to discuss and explain what differs and makes similar both theories. Conflicts and wars, Similarities and differences between Realism and Liberalism: Both Liberalism and Realism believes that there is no world government that can prevent countries to go to war on one another. For both theories military power is important and both Realism and Liberalism can understand that countries can use military power to get what they need or want. Also, both theories are conscious that without military

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