1. American Politics and Foreign Policy
American Exceptionalism and
Its Impact on American Politics and Foreign Policy
Sogang University
Prof. Jaechun Kim

2. How exceptional is the US and
US Foreign Policy?
American Exceptionalism
Many people say that the US is exceptional…
Alexis de Toqueville (1853), Democracy in America – Socialist movements in the US are insignificant, etc.…

4. Lipset, Seymour Martin (1997), American Exceptionalism: A Double-Edged Sword
Conflicts between classes are less severe… insignificant compared to Europe..
Socialist movements are insignificant… and challenges to the political system based on Capitalist Democracy is less significant…
Less welfare oriented…
“Statist” tradition is weak… meaning that state vis-à-vis the society is weak…
“Laissez-faire” tradition is very strong…
More individualistic…
More religious and moralistic…

5. Why? How can you explain American exceptionalism?
 Answers are in the exceptional origin of the state- founding and exceptional political experiences… afterwards
What is distinctive nature of origin and experiences of the US, then?

6. The Start (1): The US started as a constitutional, liberal democracy … and this political system has continued over 200 years without any serious interruptions…
Transition to Democracy and Capitalism in Europe involved a lot of bloodshed, class struggle, and … socialist movements…
Europeans had to overcome political order of “ancient regime” and economic order of “feudalism.”

7. Less severe conflicts between classes; insignificant socialist movements; insignificant challenge to the political system based on capitalist democracy…
The Start (2): Another important thing about American nation-founding and political experiences…
 What is the ‘philosophical’ underpinning of the nation-founding…?
The US is the first country, the founding of which was based on the principle of “(Classical) Liberalism”

8. What is (Classical) Liberalism?
What is the political and economic philosophy that dominated American revolution and American nation-founding?
 Classical Liberalism
What is (Classical) Liberalism?
It was political and economic philosophy which was opposed to the political order of ancient regime and economic order of feudalism…
Came from the Enlightenment Period of the 18th century Europe…

9. What is Political Liberalism?
John Locke –“sovereign rights reside within the people and, based on a contract with the people, leaders are given a mandate to govern, which the people can withdraw…” (Social Contract theory)
cf. Louis XIV  l’état, c’est moi !
Declaration of Independence - “all men are created equal…”
They wrote the constitution based on this principle…!

10. What is Economic Liberalism?
laissez-faire capitalism (A. Smith)
Free Trade (D. Ricardo)
Less regulations… market-first economic policies…
The best government is the one that governs the least!
The US – The first Liberal Democracy; The first Capitalist Economy…
The “home” or “vanguard” of Capitalist Democracy or Democratic Capitalism…

11. Deeply entrenched tradition of (Classical) Liberalism explains why the US is
Less welfare oriented…
“Statist” tradition is weak… state vis-à-vis the society is weak…
“Laissez-faire” tradition is very strong…
More individualistic… etc.
Challenges to capitalist democracy have been insignificant!

12. Although the role of state (and the central government) has steadily increased over the time, it is still fair to say that the American state is relatively weak state – it is weak vis-à-vis society.
Conservatives in the US believe that the governmental role in politics and economy should be limited. These are the people who prefer limited and small government…
American conservatives are classical liberals!!

13. People say that the origin of the US and its distinctive political experience brought about American exceptionalism… why the country is different!
American exceptionalism is reflected in the way Americans run their government and also the way they conduct world affairs…

14. US Foreign Policy Exceptionalism?
Liberal values and institutions (both political and economic)
Supreme
Universal
Transferable
To promote liberal values and institutions is “manifest destiny” – good for the US and the world!
Clear distinction between good and evil…

15. Exceptionalism universalizes American value…
Exceptionalism assumes that others wish to follow the American model…
Exceptionalism relies upon a clear conception of good versus evil…
Exceptionalism holds that the United States is an agent of good…
Exceptionalism constructs an obligation toward the US global leadership…
Exceptionalism is inherently optimistic…(We can fix the things!!... )

16. Distinct Characteristics of American Political System
Division of power -- territorial and functional divisions
What is Federalism?
A system of government in which power is divided by a constitution between a central government and regional governments
What is the opposite concept of Federalism?
Unitary system - all the governing power is vested in the central government

18. Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances
What are the tenets of American system of separation of power?
Division of the state power into legislative power, administrative power, and judicial power
What are the mechanisms by which these separate branches check and balance each other?