The obligation of empire : United States' grand strategy for a new century / edited by James J. Hentz.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Hentz, James J.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

United States--Military policy.

United States.

Military policy.

National security--United States.

National security.

United States--Foreign relations--21st century.

International relations.

World politics--21st century.

World politics.

Physical Description:

x, 226 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Lexington : University Press of Kentucky, [2004]

Summary:

For nearly half a century after World War II, one word defined the grand strategy of the United States: "containment." Turning away from its arguably isolationist traditions, the United States assumed the mantel of leadership and intervened directly in national and regional conflicts all over the globe -- from Southeast Asia to Central America and points in between -- in an effort to halt the proliferation of Communist governments and ideologies. Since the final collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, containment no longer defines U.S. grand strategy nor does it provide a geopolitical map for U.S. foreign policymakers. In The Obligation of Empire, James J. Hentz brings together original essays by leading scholars and policymakers to examine the widely varied grand strategy formulations and the potential heirs to containment at the outset of the twenty-first century.

The first section of this volume examines four theoretical frameworks for U.S. post-cold war grand strategy that are competing to fill the void left by the end of containment. Proponents of neo-isolationism argue that the United States should intervene in conflicts pertaining only to vital national concerns, which are narrowly defined. Selective engagement proposes that the United States, because of its position as the world's only remaining superpower, should limit its reach but remain active in the global geopolitical competition among states. Advocates of cooperative security suggest that acting unilaterally without regard for other members of the world community undermines America's interests and threatens national security. Finally, primacy asserts that the United States should embrace its imperial position and should conduct expansive international missions in dynamic pursuit of its economic and political interests.

The second section of The Obligation of Empire focuses on regions of the world that present new challenges to U.S. grand strategy. The chapters offer current, detailed examinations of U.S. policies for Sub-Saharan Africa, Central Asia, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Each chapter assesses the effectiveness of competing grand strategies in particular regions while describing regional obstacles to the development of viable, integrated foreign policy approaches. The book's conclusion urges the United States to recognize the responsibility to engage with the modern world that comes with great strength but also cautions to be wary of the "arrogance of power" that all too often accompanies overwhelming power. The authors strive to make sense of the new world order by exploring the tensions between far-reaching global agendas and place-bound regionalist approaches. Applying their expert analysis to some of the most important policy questions of the twenty-first century, the contributors to The Obligation of Empire seek to reconcile the awesome weight of history with the uncertain challenges of the future.

Contents:

American strategy after 9/11 / Doug Bandow

Selective engagement / Clifford A. Kiracofe Jr.

The end of American primacy and the return of a multipolar world / Charles A. Kupchan

What is within our powers? / Thomas Donnelly

A tale of two countries / James J. Hentz

Philosophical choices and U.S. policy toward Central Asia today / S. Frederick Starr

Contours of a U.S. strategy toward Latin America and the Caribbean / Jeffrey Stark

Crashing into reality / Dale R. Davis

Southeast Asia and American strategic options / Brantly Womack

Reinhold Niebuhr and the hazards of empire / Andrew J. Bacevich.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0813123321

OCLC:

54865691