ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the burgeoning research on the role of liberal idealism, especially the promotion of democracy, in US foreign policy. It reviews three, prominent occasions where we have strong reason to believe presidents used force on behalf of liberal idealism. The chapter provides an historical overview of the role of liberal idealism in US foreign policy and its impact on military intervention decisions. It shows how presidents have understood that stressing liberal idealism could be a rational and effective foreign policy goal. Research on the role and impact of liberal values in US foreign policy has become a popular subject of late in political science. Most political scientists who use empirical research methods examine the consequences rather than the causes of military intervention. Military force can be used to provide a secure environment in which political parties can form and campaign, in which voters can go to the polls without fear of intimidation.
