politics
Doctrines, legality and legitimacy in the foreign policy of the United States
Three plausible hypotheses to understand how the United States acts in relation to its foreign policy:
TL;DR
- U.S. foreign policy actions are guided by doctrines, which provide strategic principles and continuity.
- Doctrines can be presidential or stem from religious ideologies, such as 'manifest destiny'.
- Corollaries are practical applications or corrections of doctrines.
- Key doctrines include Monroe, Truman, Eisenhower, Nixon, Reagan, and Bush, each with specific objectives and examples of application.
- Manifest Destiny is a providential doctrine based on American exceptionalism, a redemptive mission, and divine destiny.
- Analyzing U.S. foreign policy requires considering multiple doctrines, domestic legality, and public opinion.
- The article questions whether a new doctrine is needed for the U.S. as a global empire.