Foreign policy Articles

Left-Out Legislature

The new Democratic Congress will find it has only a limited role to play in foreign policy.

The Case for 'Integration'

You can't beat everyone. Make them join you.

The Ethics of Realism

Hans Morgenthau and Reinhold Niebuhr--the fathers of American realism--understood that good intentions do not excuse failure.

Two Kinds of Internationalism

What Europeans condemn as unilateralism is in fact traditional postwar internationalism. As Lockeans, Americans prefer it to transnationalism because it's democratic.

Liberal Realism: The Foundations of a Democratic Foreign Policy

The quickest way to end unipolarity is to pursue unilateralism. An America that obeys international rules will strengthen its foundation of power and preserve its advantage.

In Defense of Democratic Realism

What distinguishes "democratic globalism" --the target of Francis Fukuyama's attack-- from the author's own "democratic realism"?  The second chooses its battles more carefully.

Bad Statesman, Good Prophet

The shape of the post-Cold War world is not really elusive. It is defined by the Wilsonian triad of democracy, free trade and arms control.

Remembering the Future

Taking seriously the admonition that those who forget the past are doomed to repeat its mistakes.

A Bridge Too Far

Washington's millenarians and their imaginary world.

Balance, Not Containment: A Geopolitical Take from Canberra

It does not follow that if a policy of "engagement" has its problems, a policy of "containment" must be flawless. The language that has arisen to discuss U.S. China policy is itself seminally misleading.

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May 26, 2012