Evaluate how realism and liberalism appear throughout the history of U.S.foreign policy.
Evaluate how realism and liberalism appear throughout the history of U.S.foreign policy.
Seeing as realism has a heavy base in the way that it relies on a more militaristic form of foreign relations, the American history is a primarily relist form of government in terms of foreign policy. As the American military is such a massive part of the government in terms of budgeting, global presence, and innovation, it behooves the United States to commit to a realist point of view in foreign policy. Aside from the Wilson Administration, and its isolationist policies before World War I, American history has been defined by its adherence to realism in foreign policy. It is argued that the reason for America’s rise to global power is predicated upon its realist foreign policies from the beginning. This begins with the Louisiana Pruchase un der Jefferson and the Monroe Doctrine, denying any European meddling in the Western Hemisphere to avoid further colonization (but more keeping national security in order for the young United States). This can also be seen in the way that the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine informed military action in Latin America.
The period of liberalism under Wilson was concerned with the security of the United States’ economy and politics, and did not wish to get dragged into a costly, dangerous battle that otherwise may not have affected the United States physically. This was the idea of selective engagement in practice. This liberal ideology led to the failed idea of Wilson’s League of Nations and collectivism, but made great strides toward developing the later United Nations. Again, the realist philosophy grew into the 20th century with the World Wars as well as the Cold War that saw a global military activation by the United States, which still continues the idea of realism through engagements in Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
