American Politics and American Foreign Policy Neoconservatism and its Foreign Policy Sogang University Prof. Jaechun Kim

Formation of Neo-conservatism in the US Consensus of the contemporary liberals in the US during the period of New Deal and early Cold War era (1950s) Domestic policies – Continuation of New Deal; Increasing role of the central government Foreign policies – Respect for the Cold War Consensus; Containment of Soviet communism The US during the 1960s (liberals were in power!) LBJ and Great Society Movement; Civil Rights Movement; Welfare Policies; Keynesian economic policies  Increasing role of the central government and intervention of the market!

Split of the modern liberals Post Vietnam Syndrome and erosion of Cold War consensus; Challenging anti-Soviet policies… Split of the modern liberals Liberal Camp 1: Supporting increasing role of the federal government; However, questioning existing foreign policies toward the Soviet Union and communism… Liberal Camp 2: Questioning increasing role of the federal government However, supporting existing foreign policies toward the Soviet Union and strong anti-communist policies…

In 1968 Presidential Election Nixon was elected But still <Liberal Camp 1> was in control of Democratic Party and modern American liberals In 1972 Presidential Election George McGovern was defeated by Nixon by big margin! In 1976 Presidential Election Jimmy Carter was elected – Carter was pursuing policies favorable to <Liberal Camp 1>! Continuation of New Deal Détente with the Soviet!

<Liberal Camp 2> finally defects Democratic Party and modern American liberal camp! Liberal Camp 1 is too radical! Economy is in bad shape because of Great Society! Too soft on communism!

American Neocons Neoconservative movement started from the intellectual circle! First generation Neocons -- Irving Kristol; Norman Podhoretz; Jeane Kirkpatrick (ardent advocate of ND and FDR!) Commentary; Public Interest; National Interest

The end of the Cold War and Neocons In 1980 presidential election they defected the Democratic Party and joined the Republican Party – Reagan Democrats! Neocons had a big impact on Regan’s economic policies as well as foreign policies… The end of the Cold War and Neocons Neocons are now without their enemies… Identity Crisis…

Neocons going back to the intellectual circle! Tried to influence foreign policies of George H. W. Bush and B. Clinton, but to no avail… 2nd Generation Neocons William (Bill) Kristol; Robert Kagan Standard Weekly; Project for the New American Century (PNAC); American Enterprise Institute (AEI)

Election of GWB and resurgence of Neocons… - Paul Wolfowitz (Deputy Secretary of Defense) - Lewis "Scooter" Libby Jr. (Chief of Staff and assistant for National Security Affairs to U.S. Vice President) - John Bolton (Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security) - Richard Perle, Chairman of the Defense Policy Board - Elliot Abrams, Deputy National Security Adviser

- Robert Joseph (replacing John Bolton) - Dick Cheney; Donald Rumsfeld are paleo-conservatives..

Realism Neo-conservatism American use of force and intervention abroad should be careful! Intervene only when national interests are at stake! Intervene to maintain precarious Balance of Power! Neo-conservatism Now we enjoy preponderance of power, so we might want to take advantage of the situation and intervene whenever necessary! Moral superiority; American value and system is the best!: Manifest destiny to promote these!; Intervention to promote liberalism is OK! Neo-Wilsonianism??

GWB started as classical realist… But after 911 he seemed to be leaning toward neo-conservatist foreign policies…

Neo-conservative foreign policies American exceptionalism – moral superiority of the American value and system – we have moral duty to preserve and promote these! (Wilsonian elements…) Cold War may be over, but still there are threats to American value and system… and the threats are rogue states and terrorists… WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction) To deal with the threats, Americans have to use preponderance of power unabashedly!! American hegemon; Unilateralism; Preemptive Strike We don’t negotiate with the enemies…  Bush Doctrine  Romney Doctrine?