Ikenberry (
Liberal Order and Imperial Ambition) frames the central debate that structures this slim collection of four scholarly essays when he asks, if Bush is the heir of Woodrow Wilson, if the Iraq War in particular grew out of Wilsonianism and to what extent liberals share the blame. His provocative thesis surveys the evolution of liberal internationalism and dovetails with the historical essay by Knock (
To End All Wars) that follows, drawing a distinction between Wilsonianism and successive foreign policies, including Cold War Globalism and the policies of the Bush administration. The most heated argument in the text comes in the final two essays by Smith (
A Pact with the Devil) and Slaughter (
A New World Order). Smith argues that the Bush doctrine can, in fact, be labeled Wilsonian and that it issued from a cross-fertilization of ideas between neoconservatives and neoliberals, including Slaughter herself. Slaughter rebuts this version of events and articulates how Wilsonianism can create a foundation for 21st-century foreign policy. Collectively, the authors present a variety of arguments in a narrow academic debate with far-reaching implications.
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The Crisis of American Foreign Policy examines Wilson's resonance today. Four noted scholars--three Wilson sympathizers and one caustic critic--offer thoughtful essays on what Wilsons historical example might offer twenty-first-century leaders. . . . It is the combatitive essays by Tony Smith and Anne-Marie Slaughter that invigorate the collection. . . . For Smith, Wilsonianism is a distracting Kantian echo in an increasingly Hobbesian world. Slaughter offers a spirited defense of Woodrow Wilson. . . . This academic clash will resonate with progressives, for Smith's skepticism and Slaughter's optimism reside in many of us. And this same battle of ideas--the pragmatic versus the internationalist--will likely be repeated during high-level debates in the Obama administration. -- David Milne, The Nation
This slender volume by fout prominent foreign policy analysts offers a provocative and informative analysis of the impact of Woodrow Wilson's global vision on American foreign policy over the past century and its potential implications for the twenty-first century. -- James M. McCormick, Perspectives on Politics
I recommend this book wholeheartedly on a number of levels: it provides an articulate account of Wilsonianism; the opportunity to see a substantive and expertly argued discourse among intellectual heavyweights is very much welcomed; and the added relevance--perhaps--of Slaughter's new position as director of policy planning at the State Department in the new Obama administration means US foreign policy could have a distinct Wilsonian flavour in the run-up to the centenary of Wilson's arrival in the White House. -- J. Simon Rofe, International Affairs
Particularly timely. . . . The question the book addresses in four short essays is whether Mr Bush's policies--most notably the Iraq invasion--were 'Wilsonian' in inspiration and whether the reverses have weakened or doomed the tradition. -- Daniel Dombey, Financial Times
This is not a j'accuse account of the Bush presidency. Rather, its focus is a discussion of the tradition of Wilsonianism in American foreign policy, and whether or not George W. Bush's presidency ought to be described as being part of this tradition. While the authors come to different conclusions, using different criteria, the debate is interesting and intelligent, offering plenty for students, historians and enthusiasts alike.
The Crisis of American Foreign Policy is the most readable, balanced and lucid theory-based publication I've read in quite some time. Very highly recommended. -- Stefan Fergus, Civilian Reader
This short book warrants close attention by anyone concerned about Obama's foreign policy and the meaning of his Inaugural Address. . . . [Slaughter] offers nothing less than a blueprint for 21st-century Wilsonianism. -- Richard M. Gamble, The American Conservative
Was George W. Bush the heir of Woodrow Wilson? That is the important question addressed by the four authors who created this short but lucid contribution to the U.S. foreign policy debate. The liberal Wilsonians Ikenberry and Slaughter want to answer with a resounding no but are serious and fair-minded enough to give a full airing to the contrary view. The resulting debate does not settle the issue, but it clarifies some of the conflicting and contradictory elements in the legacy that Wilson left. -- Walter Russell Mead, Foreign Affairs
In
The Crisis of American Foreign Policy . . . G. John Ikenberry, Thomas J. Knock, Tony Smith and Anne-Marie Slaughter debate whether George W. Bush channelled Woodrow Wilson or buried him. . . . [If] the American empire is still in its infancy, the debate articulated in
The Crisis in American Foreign Policy is not only highly relevant but will remain so for the foreseeable future. -- Dennis Phillips, Australian Review of Public Affairs
Debates both the Bush legacy and the prospects for reinvigorating American foreign policy and consequently American international leadership. -- Tara McCormack, Spiked Review of Books
Engages with the debate on the future of democratisation after the Bush era. . . . The various authors engage in a rather lively exchange on the Bush presidency's legacy. -- Emiliano Alessandri, International Spectator
[A] formidable contribution to the understanding of the differences between these two internationalisms. . . . Whatever one's views on the issues developed in this short book, the authors have done a wonderful job in demarcating their disagreements. Indeed, this book should be compulsory reading for students and practitioners of American foreign policy. Listening to Obama's UN speech, one might think that he also found it useful reading. -- Sergio Fabbrini, International Journal
This collection of essays allows the reader to transcend simplistic notions of Wilsonianism, for which the authors should be applauded. -- Mark J. L. McClelland, Political Studies Review
This slim volume (117 pages plus notes) is interesting on a couple of levels, and to at least two audiences. . . . Foreign policy specialists can salivate over the contest between the academic titans; the rest of us get a front-row seat at a sharp but civil and provocative exchange on foundational concepts underlying U.S. foreign policy. -- Jerry Petr, Prairie Fire
This collection makes a definite contribution. . . . [The essays] present comprehensive interpretations of Wilson's thought and of the approach of the Bush administration [as well as] analyzing the substance of the Bush policies and suggesting directions for the future of American policy. -- Max J. Skidmore, European Legacy
