ABSTRACT
Ideology is a much misunderstood term that tends to be misused and underutilised in academic scholarship. In most instances, ideologies are not all-embracing, self-sufficient dogmas, but rather systems of ideas competing for the attention of citizens and this requires of them significant flexibility and adaptability. The challenge for analysing the impact of liberal ideology on US foreign policy lies in the fact that various dimensions and historical versions of liberalism are used by politicians when it seems useful to their cause. Liberal ideas appear at the macro-, meso- and micro-levels as they move up and down the model. The challenge for analysing the impact of liberal ideology on US foreign policy lies in the fact that various dimensions and historical versions of liberalism are used by politicians when it seems useful to their cause. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
