War and American Foreign Policy

Beschreibung

This book explores presidential justifications of every major American military conflict from the War of 1812 to the Second Gulf War. It generates two important findings. First, presidents employ a specific standard (the Necessity Standard) publicly to justify decisions to go to war, and privately to make decisions regarding war and peace. The Necessity Standard holds that major military force should be used if no viable alternatives are available to protect vital interests or discharge duties. Second, when addressing the Necessity Standard, presidents have disclosed military and security policies that vary considerably in their patience with alternatives and their definitions of vital interests and duties. The book concludes by characterizing wars, categorizing presidential policies, and outlining how the central position of the Necessity Standard in the American politics of war and peace might affect policymaking processes, conflict management, and the public’s perceptions of wars and foreign policy.
David J. Lorenzo is a professor in the College of International Affairs, National Chengchi University, Taiwan. He is the author of various books and other publications addressing political theory and issues of war and peace, including articles in the American Journal of Political Science, World Affairs, and Democracy and Security. 

This book explores presidential justifications of every major American military conflict from the War of 1812 to the Second Gulf War. It generates two important findings. First, presidents employ a specific standard (the Necessity Standard) publicly to justify decisions to go to war, and privately to make decisions regarding war and peace. The Necessity Standard holds that major military force should be used if no viable alternatives are available to protect vital interests or discharge duties. Second, when addressing the Necessity Standard, presidents have disclosed military and security policies that vary considerably in their patience with alternatives and their definitions of vital interests and duties. The book concludes by characterizing wars, categorizing presidential policies, and outlining how the central position of the Necessity Standard in the American politics of war and peace might affect policymaking processes, conflict management, and the public’s perceptions of wars and foreign policy.
Offers a discussion of a jus ad bellum standard that spans the entire history of major American wars, from the War of 1812 to the Second Gulf War Shows that a Necessity Standard needs to be met when arguing to take the US to war Highlights the military and security policies that one can glean from presidential discussions of war

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David J. Lorenzo

Themen in »War and American Foreign Policy«

US foreign policy US security policy US diplomacy presidential decisions of war war and American foreign policy justifications for war US military action history taking America to war Necessity Standard Justifications of Major US Military Actions jus ad bellum standards presidential discussions of major wars

Stimmen zu »War and American Foreign Policy«

“This is a useful book for a US Foreign Policy class, but in its arrangement as case studies, even more suited as a course assignment on a particular conflict--there are valuable discussion points … .” (Margaret Sankey, goodreads.com, October 16, 2021)
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