Realists, as John Mearsheimer has stated, do not classify states in the international system as virtuous or as malign. That is, states do what they can to facilitate their ultimate goal of survival. Therefore, when a state has to be “ruthless” in carrying out its goals, it will be so, according to realists. The Realist view of state behavior is seemingly at odds with the self-conception of at least a significant part of the American populace. Many of us have been taught from early on that the United States is uniquely moral in its foreign policy and how it conducts itself abroad. Even today, many Americans think of their state as a force for good in the world. Dyed-in-the-wool realists, of course, believe that American foreign policy is couched in moralistic terms but is not at its core motivated by that.
Your task in this essay is to try and mediate between these two opposing views. Which is more correct here, the view that American foreign policy behavior is one of “might makes right” or the view that America operates its foreign policy primarily to a moral standard not shared by most other countries?
In reaching your conclusion, you should proceed according to the following:
Lay out and discuss basic realist beliefs as to the amorality of states.
Discuss the popular view of the United States as being a democratic land of the free and of opportunity, a society that operates under a different moral code. Where does this come from? How is it manifested in American society and in US actions abroad? In short, if an American says that the US is a “moral” country, what do they mean when they use that word?
Center your discussion on two foreign policy cases from the 21st century, one where you think America conforms to its idealized image and one where you think America diverges from it. The cases can be broad or narrow, but they should be prominent ones for which many sources are available. A narrow or specific case might be a particular event, such as a war. A case that’s more broad might be, for example, America’s foreign aid over the last two decades. You’re free to choose your two cases. Also, you can mention or allude to other cases of virtuous behavior and less virtuous behavior, but you only need to center your analysis on two main cases. Make sure to introduce them adequately to the reader.
Using all of the information that you’ve given above, conduct your analysis and tell the reader which side of the ledger America falls on. Has America acted in a way that supports what realists say or is there something different about how America operates that shows it carrying a torch of hope for others. Now, certainly, American foreign policy behavior includes events that Americans may not be proud of, but you don’t have to prove that all American behavior abroad is moral, but simply that it primarily is that.
The formatting guidelines are as follows:
Please write 5-7 pages. If you end on the fifth page, make sure the text goes to at least half the page.
Please use a standard 11- or 12-point font with one-inch margins all around (header, footer, left & right).
Double space the text of the paper.
Aim for at least eight good sources (beyond encyclopedia.com or Wikipedia, etc.), though having more will probably be better. If you follow my directions and look at the newspaper databases accessible via the Leatherby Libraries website, you will have no problem listing at least eight useful sources. I’ll also consider if and how the sources are used in the paper for those who might be tempted to simply cut and paste unrelated sources into their source list.
This is important–Please cite your sources using a recognized citation format (Chicago Style, MLA, APA, etc.) Make sure that anyone who reads your paper is able to match your citations to your sources and to pages in those sources, if applicable. See the citation guide posted on our course Canvas page. If you’re still unsure, come and see me.
Include a source list at the end of your paper. The source list page(s) will not count towards the page-requirement.
In evaluating your submissions, I’ll consider three broad areas: 1) the extent to which you’ve considered the prompt, the structure of your paper, and the nature of the assertions and arguments that you make; 2) the actual thinking and analysis behind your argument, its convincingness, and the amount and quality of evidence that you offer in support of it; 3) finally, the style, editing, prose, and your level of adherence to the formatting and citation requirements will be under consideration.
I’ll have a special emphasis on the detail of your source work (number and relevance) and the detail of your exploration of your four factors. I’d like to ensure that you’re not simply cutting and pasting language from an AI generator into the paper–which would be a violation of academic integrity–so the more relevant detail you provide, the better your chances are of achieving a higher grade.
