Books about American foreign policy must highlight important debates surrounding
important historical events as well as the ultimate goals and conduct of U.S. foreign
policy. Some argue that throughout U.S. history, the United States has engaged in
an unending quest for power and supremacy which culminated in the articulation
of the Bush Doctrine as the official national security statement. Others claim that
the United States’ primary objective was to dominate the world economically and
as such it engaged in an endless battle to reshape and dominate the global economy,
especially after World War II and the introduction of the Washington consensus.
Still other practitioners and scholars believe that the United States has always been
“exceptional” and carries a duty to act in a manner reflecting its role as a world
leader. Finally, some consider the United States to be more or less just another
superpower (or, perhaps even a “hyper-power”) whose position as a superpower will
inevitably come to an end. No matter which position readers take, we suggest that in
order to judge the merits of these theoretical camps it behooves readers to consider
the evidence that each relies upon to make their case.