The concept of ‘exceptionalism’ has long guided how many Americans have thought about their own history, but comparisons of the American experience with those of other nations may suggest common themes. How does the expansionist ideology of nineteenth-century America fit with the imperialist rhetoric of European powers during the same period? Has empire meant the same thing in America as in Europe, and, if not, how has American empire differed?
To what extent did American foreign policy change as a result of the attacks of September 11th, 2001? How did the policies of President George W. Bush compare with those of his predecessors? It may be instructive here to compare specific examples, e.g. the Clinton Administration’s policies in the former Yugoslavia with those of the Bush Administration in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Examine the extent to which contemporary American power depends on military strength. Recent works by Johnson (2004) and Bacevich (2002) portray a country whose civic and political culture is threatened by militarism. To what extent do you share these views? What prospects do you see for a greater degree of accountability in terms of the conduct of American military policies?
Examine the debate about the relative strengths of the American economy in the early twenty-first century, and assess its implications for the future of American political and military power. Is American economic power on the decline?
Explore a case study in American nation-building (e.g. South Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq). What kinds of problems arise when attempts are made to create stable democratic societies in the aftermath of military intervention? What do you make of the American commitment to the ‘single model’ of development?
Explore the ways in which the American military are depicted in popular culture, particularly by Hollywood. To what extent are the experiences of the American military overseas regularly represented in terms of earlier American mythology? Although this chapter hasn’t looked at Vietnam, there is a sizeable body of films dealing with American intervention in Southeast Asia which repay careful study, e.g. Apocalypse Now, The Deerhunter, Platoon.
What explains the rise of anti-Americanism in different parts of the world in the early twenty-first century? Are its causes political or cultural? Consider here, links between the conduct of American foreign policy and the issues of cultural transmission discussed in chapter 10. A good place to start is the Pew Global Attitudes Project
Explore the tensions between unilateralism and multilateralism in the contemporary United States.
Assess Randolph Bourne’s judgement that war tends to encourage an oppressive state. How does this link to the debates about citizen surveillance?
Culture has functioned as a vital resource for citizens attempting to make sense of the momentous historical events of 9/11 that seemed well beyond their influence or control. Read David Holloway, 9/11 and the War on Terror (Edinburgh University Press, 2008) for ideas about the variety of ways in which cultural texts sought to assess, interrogate and explain 9/11. Apply his ideas to any chosen materials – for example, the novels Don De Lillo’s Falling Man (2008) or Henry Porter’s Empire State (2004).
To what extent has the presidency of Barack Obama altered the direction of US foreign policy? Have Obama’s two terms been marked by change or continuity? Compare here President George W. Bush’s National Security Strategy 2002 with Obama’s in 2015.
Miller Center for Public Affairs - Excellent source on American presidents from the University of Virginia, with helpful essays on their foreign policies
Council on Foreign Relations - ‘non-partisan’ but tends to represent the voices ofsenior government officials, members of the U.S. Congress, journalists, and corporate executives