Quiz 1: US Foreign Policy History

Wars of necessity

Defined as conflicts that take place when vital interests are at stake and there are no other viable options available to defend them.

Wars of choice

Defined as interventions initiated when the interests are less than vital, when there are options other than military force that could be employed to protect or promote those interests, or both.

"The Unipolar Moment"

A concept associated with Charles Krauthammer, who argues for US Primacy in all areas—military, economic, and diplomatic—and believes the US must lead rather than retreat into neo-isolationism.

US Primacy

The belief that the United States should maintain dominance across military, economic, and diplomatic spheres, advocated by Charles Krauthammer.

Neo-isolationism

A modern form of American withdrawal from global engagement, which Krauthammer warns against, arguing oceans no longer protect the US.

Jeanne Kirkpatrick's argument on dealing with non-democratic governments

She argued the US must formulate a morally and strategically acceptable approach to support threatened non-democratic regimes to prevent totalitarian outcomes.

Age of Sea Power

A concept promoted by Admiral Mahan, emphasizing naval dominance and global imperialism as key to national power.

Isolationism

A US foreign policy stance characterized by avoiding entanglements, which once protected national interests but later became dangerously delusional in the interwar years.

Self-determination

The right of people with shared identity to determine their own political status, a foundational UN principle.

League of Nations

An international organization proposed by Wilson after WWI to ensure collective security and diplomacy, ultimately failed.

Bretton Woods agreement

A 1944 accord creating a system for international monetary regulation, establishing the IMF and IBRD.

International Monetary Fund (IMF)

A Bretton Woods institution created to stabilize exchange rates and provide short-term financial assistance to countries.

International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)

A Bretton Woods institution, part of the World Bank, focused on long-term development and reconstruction loans.

Balance of power

A European diplomatic principle rejected by post-WWII American leaders like Roosevelt and Lippmann, though Lippmann later called for its restoration.

Nationalism

A political force focused on loyalty to the nation, seen as a cause of war and a key element of fascism when taken to extremes.

United Nations (UN)

A post-WWII organization designed to maintain peace, promote development, and encourage human rights and self-determination.

UN Security Council

The UN body responsible for authorizing use of force

Veto power

The ability of any permanent member of the UN Security Council to block substantive resolutions.

UN General Assembly

A representative UN body where each member state has one vote

Trusteeship system (UN)

A UN mechanism to help territories achieve self-government or independence under international oversight.

NATO

A Western military alliance formed to deter Soviet aggression, later redefined to project democracy and manage crises globally.

Warsaw Pact

The Soviet military alliance counterpart to NATO, part of the USSR's illiberal global order.

Comecon

The Soviet economic alliance system that paralleled the Marshall Plan, forming part of the USSR's illiberal global order.

Liberal order

The US-led post-WWII system based on rules, democracy, trade, and alliances like NATO, GATT, and the UN.

Illiberal order

The Soviet-led global system based on coercion, control, and secret police power.

Containment Doctrine

Kennan’s Cold War strategy advocating firm, patient opposition to Soviet expansionism through counterpressure rather than direct conflict.

Sources of Soviet Conduct (according to X/Kennan)

Kennan’s explanation of Soviet hostility as rooted in ideology, insecurity, and prestige, requiring careful and firm containment.

Truman Doctrine

The US commitment to support free peoples resisting subjugation, marking a global fight between democracy and dictatorship.

Marshall Plan

A US program of massive economic aid to rebuild Europe and counter communism

Kissinger's Critique of Containment

He argued containment was reactive, too vague, risked overextension, and lacked a clear diplomatic vision.

Reagan Doctrine

A more assertive Cold War strategy promoting support for anti-communist insurgencies worldwide.

Realism

A foreign policy school prioritizing national interest and power, critical of moral crusades and overreach.

Idealism

A foreign policy perspective focused on values and moral leadership, exemplified by Wilson’s vision and sometimes prone to disillusionment.

Rooselvet’s Big Stick Diplomacy

Theodore Roosevelt's foreign policy was characterized by aggressive action and the assertion of the U.S. as a regional policeman in the Americas, exemplified by the construction of the Panama Canal. (policeman)

Dollar Diplomacy

Taft’s strategy of using American financial power to influence foreign governments and protect US interests.

Fourteen Points

Wilson’s plan for post-WWI peace including self-determination, open diplomacy, and the League of Nations.

Wars Fought Three Times

The idea that wars involve political debate before, military conflict during, and public reckoning after.

Fascism

An anti-liberal, nationalist, and militarist political ideology that emerged in Europe between the world wars.

Modernization Concept

A theory that societies evolve from traditional to modern in stages, driven by technology and rationalization.

Dictatorship "of the proletariat"

A Marxist-Leninist principle justifying centralized, unchecked power in the name of the working class.

Infallibility of the Kremlin

A Soviet concept requiring total ideological conformity and portraying the Party as the sole source of truth.

Washington's view on alliances

George Washington advised against permanent alliances, supporting only temporary ones in emergencies to protect national interest.