American Foreign Policy: Victory of Liberal Internationalism

On this episode of The Hillsdale College Online Courses Podcast, Jeremiah and Juan discuss the legacy of World War Two before introducing Michael Anton.

We often treat foreign policy as a mystery that can only be understood by an enlightened few who have committed their lives to understanding the complexities of international life. This view is dangerous because it encourages citizens to ignore a critical aspect of American political life that it’s our duty to understand. And it’s false because the basics of foreign policy are commonsense and a joy to learn. For the Founders, the basic premise of foreign policy is simple—we must make every decision with a view towards securing the equal, natural rights of American citizens. This understanding requires that America’s leaders remain accountable to the people, and it places essential limits on our interventions abroad. Yet, for over a century, this traditional understanding of American foreign policy has been challenged by new and more ambitious doctrines that argue for increased American involvement and leadership abroad. 

America was officially neutral during the first two years of World War Two, but in many important ways our “neutrality” violated the nonintervention principles of the American Founders. The attack on Pearl Harbor led Americans to accept war. And with the rising Soviet threat at the end of the War, American public opinion accepted interventionist policies. 

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