READ 3: Strategies of Restraint: Remaking America's Broken Foreign Policy

Post-Cold War U.S. Foreign Policy Consensus

A bipartisan agreement for nearly three decades after the Cold War, rooted in the belief that the U.S. was the "indispensable nation" and should pursue a global transformational agenda.

Collapse of U.S. Foreign Policy Consensus (Post-Cold War)

Occurred due to the failure of the U.S. "war on terror," the rise of China, and increasing domestic partisan polarization, leading to the emergence of the 'restraint' movement.

Restraint (Foreign Policy)

A growing movement advocating a less activist U.S. foreign policy, emphasizing diplomatic and economic engagement while de-emphasizing military intervention.

Modified Liberal Internationalism

A foreign policy view that sees U.S. leadership as a stabilizing force, prioritizing militarized deterrence and a liberal, rules-based international order, but with an awareness of the "limits of American power."

Belligerent Unilateralism ("America First")

A foreign policy view prioritizing maintenance of U.S. military primacy and national interests over a liberal international order, rejecting diplomacy and multilateral solutions in favor of American solutions and a militarized global presence.

Core Convictions of Restraint

The United States is a highly secure nation, its foreign policy has suffered from overreach, it is overmilitarized, and it is one among many global powers, not the "indispensable nation."

Barry Posen's "Restraint"

An academic grand strategy envisioning a much smaller U.S. military based primarily within the United States.

Offshore Balancing (Mearsheimer and Walt)

An academic grand strategy calling for downsizing the U.S. global military role but admitting occasional intervention in key regions to prevent hostile states from dominating.

Motivations for Restraint (Types)

Moral considerations (libertarian anti-war, anti-imperialist), financial reasons (deficit hawks, progressives seeking domestic funding), personal experiences (veterans), and strategic rationale (avoiding failures of interventionism).

Restraint-Curious

Individuals open to a more restrained foreign policy on specific issues but not necessarily committed to the broader philosophy of restraint.

Realist Internationalism

A proposed future U.S. foreign policy strategy that is "realist yet not doctrinaire, internationalist yet prudent," where the U.S. acts as a "convener" on global concerns and focuses on "sufficiency" rather than "primacy" in its military posture.