ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses one theory of grand strategy, put forth by international relations scholars and American leaders, that the type of order that is provided by the United States is distinguished by adherence to widely accepted rules regarding what kinds of behavior toward other states are allowed. It also discusses the rules of international law surrounding the use of force abroad. An overwhelming amount of evidence suggests that American presidents choose to go to war based on political and ideological considerations. The liberal superpower myth is often accompanied by dire warnings about what would happen should America abandon its current role. The Gulf War was perhaps the clearest case of an American war sanctioned by international law since Korea. From the perspective of international law, in many important respects the war in Vietnam resembled the conflict in Korea. Believers in the existence of grand strategy nevertheless come up with other explanations for American behavior abroad.
