A Faustian Foreign Policy from Woodrow Wilson to George W. Bush critiques U.S. foreign policy during this period by showing how moralistic diplomacy has increasingly assumed Faustian overtones, especially during the Cold War and following September 11. The ideological components of American diplomacy, originating in the late 18th and 19th centuries, evolved through the 20th century as U.S. economic and political power steadily increased. Seeing myth making as essential in any country's founding and a common determinant of its foreign policy, Professor Joan Hoff reveals how the basic belief in its exceptionalism has driven America's past and present attempts to remake the world in its own image. She expands her original concept of 'independent internationalism' as the modus operandi of U.S. diplomacy to reveal the many unethical Faustian deals the United States entered into since 1920 to obtain its current global supremacy.

A century ago, the Theodore Roosevelt administration believed building an American empire was the only way the U.S. could ensure its role in the world, but came to see the occupation of the Philippines as America's "heel of Achilles." Woodrow Wilson, shocked by the failure of American intervention in Mexico and by the outbreak of World War I, came to see imperialism as the underlying cause of war and set about trying to create an international system to eliminate empires. But, the current Bush administration, despite the lessons of the past, has revived the older dreams of American empire--under the guise of democracy--even touting the American experience in the Philippines as a success upon which the United States could build in attempting to transform the Middle East. With The Folly of Empire, John B. Judis shows that history can teach us lessons and allow political leaders, if sensitive to history, to change their strategy in order to avoid past mistakes. Judis shows how presidents from Franklin Roosevelt to Bill Clinton drew upon what Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson learned about the pitfalls of using American power unilaterally to carve out a world in America's image. Exercising leadership through international institutions and alliances, the United States was able to win the Cold War and the first Gulf War. But by ignoring these lessons, the Bush administration has created a quagmire of terror and ethnic conflict. By examining America's role in the international community--then and now--The Folly of Empire is a sharp and compelling critique of America's current foreign policy and offers a direct challenge to neo-conservatives.

Few presidents in modern times have seen their words and actions subject to such intense critical scrutiny as George W. Bush. His critics label him the 'Pariah President', personally inarticulate and at times politically incoherent; his supporters portray him as gifted and skilled, one of the most decisive, successful and popular leaders of our time. But if 'the person is now the policy' at the White House - and that person happens to be both activist and moralist - what kind of presidency and foreign policy flows from such a leader? How has Bush changed American politics and the role of the United States in the world? Alexander Moens offers the first systematic explanation of Bush's foreign policy by describing the complexities of the man and how his particular personality and style so heavily influence the final policy outcomes. Frank, engaging and insightful, it offers an original and carefully documented account of Bush's personality, his presidential style and his decision-making process, and how these three core ingredients in turn provide the key to understanding Bush's overall strategy and policy. The Foreign Policy of George W. Bush is an ideal reference for contemporary US foreign policy, international security, and diplomatic relations. With detailed and candid insights into the presidential leadership it will also make fascinating reading for those interested in the future of American politics.

Was George W. Bush the true heir of Woodrow Wilson, the architect of liberal internationalism? Was the Iraq War a result of liberal ideas about America's right to promote democracy abroad? In this timely book, four distinguished scholars of American foreign policy discuss the relationship between the ideals of Woodrow Wilson and those of George W. Bush. The Crisis of American Foreign Policy exposes the challenges resulting from Bush's foreign policy and ponders America's place in the international arena. Led by John Ikenberry, one of today's foremost foreign policy thinkers, this provocative c.

This book offers a fresh assessment of George W. Bush’s foreign policies. It is not designed to offer an evaluation of the totality of George W. Bush’s foreign policy. Instead, the analysis will focus on the key aspects of his foreign and security policy record, in each case considering the interplay between principle and pragmatism. The underpinning contention here is that policy formulation and implementation across Bush’s two terms can more usefully be analysed in terms of shades of grey, rather than the black and white hues in which it has often been painted. Thus, in some key policy areas it will be seen that the overall record was more pragmatic and successful than his many critics have been prepared to give him credit for. The president and his advisers were sometimes prepared to alter and amend their policy direction, on occasion significantly. Context and personalities, interpersonal and interagency, both played a role here. Where these came together most visibly – for instance in connection with dual impasses over Iraq and Iran – exigencies on the ground sometimes found expression in personnel changes. In turn, the changing fortunes of Bush’s first term principals presaged policy changes in his second. What emerges from a more detached study of key aspects of the Bush administration – during a complicated and challenging period in the United States’ post-Cold War history, marked by the dramatic emergence of international Islamist terrorism as the dominant international security threat – is a more complex picture than any generalization can ever hope to sustain, regardless of how often it is repeated. This book will be of much interest to students of US foreign policy, international politics and security studies.

In a critical overview of U.S. foreign policy since the end of the Cold War, P. Edward Haley draws surprising connections between key elements of George W. Bush's foreign policy and those of his predecessor, Bill Clinton. This is the only book covering the foreign policies of all three post--Cold War presidents -- George H. W. Bush, William J. Clinton, and George W. Bush.

Character and Consequence by Robert A. Strong, looks at important foreign policy decisions of George H. W. Bush through the lens of character and asks how personal traits like loyalty, compassion, reticence and audacity had an impact on American foreign policy at a pivotal point in world history. Combining biographical observations with in-depth case studies of complicated international events, the book explores foreign policy decision-making and presidential personality for a broad audience. It is recommended to those curious about a critical era in U.S. diplomatic history, and to students of American politics and international relations who want to understand America’s forty-first president and his decisions and actions at the end of the Cold War.