ABSTRACT

The role of the United States in world politics has changed beyond recognition since 1776. The new, vulnerable country of thirteen states strung out along the eastern Atlantic coast of the New World has become the world's sole superpower. This transformation happened gradually but saw a rapid acceleration with the onset of the Cold War in the period following the end of the Second World War. Yet there are features of American foreign policy today which have strong roots in the early history of the Republic. The most important of these are, first, the structures and process of foreign policy-making, the basis of which was laid down in the Constitution of 1787. Secondly, it is important to understand the ideology which underpins American foreign policy: a unique blend of national self-interest and mission – a mission not merely to defend but also to spread American values around the world. In this chapter we examine how these deep-rooted factors interact with contemporary circumstances in order to explain how and why the United States plays the role it does in international politics.