ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the various theories involving economic factors and foreign policy. It describes case studies where we have reason to believe economic forces played a strong role in a president's decision to use military force. The chapter provides the evolving role of economic interests in American foreign policy since the founding of the Republic. The critical, pluralist and hegemonic theories differ primarily over why and the extent to which the state acts on behalf of economic interests. The relationship between US power and the promotion of economic interests is complex. Economic interests were necessary and/or sufficient conditions for frequent political uses of military force. Military force was fine for confronting localized problems, not managing a modern, global economy. The growth in the American economy also led many to argue that the US should assume a greater role in world affairs, commensurate with its new-found strength.
