POSC150 Lecture Notes - Lecture 32: Rationality, Preemptive War, Truman Doctrine
9 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
● Foreign Policy Goal 1 : Security
○ Protection of American interests from hostile nations and other non-state actors
■ American interests refers to no just physical security, but also our health
(food and drugs), infrastructure, energy supply, etc.
● National Security Policy Evolution
○ Isolationism (1796-WWII)
■ Belief that by avoiding/ignoring conflicts in the rest of the world our
security would be secured
● Articulated by Washington during Farewell Address
■ Understandable considering the natural geographic separation (2 oceans)
and prevalence of foreign conflicts (Britain and France were always at
war)
○ Notable Exceptions
■ Manifest Destiny (Andrew Jackson and James Polk)
● Belief that US has divine destiny to conquer America
■ Teddy Roosevelt
● Believed that US should be an international power and intervene
in foreign affairs of other nations
■ Woodrow Wilson
● WWI illustrates that we must be involved in international
diplomacy
○ Containment (1940s-1990s)
■ Recognition during WWII that isolationism would no longer work
● Exacerbated by tensions with USSR and the arms race that
ensued
■ Truman Doctrine
● (Containment) US should seek to contain the spread of
communism through financial aid and deterrence
● Marshall Plan - help rebuild Europe and generally provide financial
assistance to nations resisting communist influence
● Deterrence - provide military aid to nations resisting communist
influence
find more resources at oneclass.com
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Document Summary
Protection of american interests from hostile nations and other non-state actors. American interests refers to no just physical security, but also our health (food and drugs), infrastructure, energy supply, etc. Belief that by avoiding/ignoring conflicts in the rest of the world our security would be secured. Understandable considering the natural geographic separation (2 oceans) and prevalence of foreign conflicts (britain and france were always at war) Manifest destiny (andrew jackson and james polk) Belief that us has divine destiny to conquer america. Believed that us should be an international power and intervene in foreign affairs of other nations. Wwi illustrates that we must be involved in international diplomacy. Recognition during wwii that isolationism would no longer work. Exacerbated by tensions with ussr and the arms race that ensued. Truman doctrine (containment) us should seek to contain the spread of communism through financial aid and deterrence.
