ABSTRACT
Any book about ethics and foreign policy would be remiss without a chapter on how America’s ethical system has informed their worldview and their perceptions about the conduct of their foreign policy. I argue that American perceptions of their country’s foreign policy are often based on their appraisal of America’s character rather than the specific foreign policy actions performed by the state. Because America is a ‘good’ country with ‘exceptional’ values, it follows ipso facto that its policies must also be good. America as a good country can lapse momentarily, due to mistaken or ill-intentioned policies, but fundamentally has the capacity to redeem itself if it strays from its traditionally positive path.
