Presidents, and others, often claim that Americas national interests and its

political ideals are in harmony. Is this true?

-define the following words: national interest, political ideals

The Roots of American Foreign Policy: an analysis of power and purpose

Morgenthau, H. (1982). In defense of the national interest.

Washington, D.C.: University Press of America.

wherever American foreign policy has operated, political thought has been divorced from political
action (p. 7)

have acted on the international scene [..] in power-political terms; but we have tended to conceive
of our actions in non-political, moralistic terms (p. 7)

-uniqueness of American experience

-isolationism

-humanitarian pacifism and anti-imperialism of American ideology

-independence-retreat from Europa (and subsequently from power politics)

-the feeling that the 13 original states civilised (and not conquered) the territory (the native
populations were obviously there, but werent regarded as political entities)-cause there werent a
lot of Indians and they were underdeveloped, the element of power does not stand out

-military actions in the 19th century viewed as exemptions from its libertarian, anti-imperialistic, anti-
militaristic doctrine (p. 11)-destined to disappear with the triumph of democracy (hence it cannot
stop until democracy prevails)=> emphasise on how it was portrayed

-fighting a non-democratic entity is not subject to a power-politics analysis from which gains are to
be made, its a battle between good and evil (which an only end with the triumph of good)

*military: just means to and end?*

-aristocratic governments-dominating middle class through violence-19th century intellectual
revolution-replacing aristocratic governments-but the new dominant middle class was legalizing and
formalizing relations of power through economic means under an egalitarian umbrella (to be noted
that this was said setting from the premise that the international system is a reflection of domestic
realities)

-involvement in power politics as accidental and dictated by socio-historic context

-Morgenthau (p.13) argues that the idea according to which a nation can escape from power politics
into a realm of where action is guided by moral principles rather than by considerations of power is
deeply rooted in the American mind

*national interest was survival at first, then prosperity which is to be achieved through trade and
stability in the international system (democratization)*

-morality between individuals and nations is different, as in case of nations guiding its own welfare is
more important than in individuals case due to its collective nature

-and individual can easily pursue morality (ideals) at its own expense, whilst a government
(especially a democratic one) cannot

-Morgenthau identifies three periods in American foreign policy:

1) The realist period: Alexander Hamilton

2) The ideological period: thinking in terms of moral principles but acting in terms of power:
Thomas Jefferson and John Quincy Adams
3) The moralistic period: thinking and acting in moralistic terms: Woodrow Wilson