Special Providence_ American Foreign Policy and How It Changed World - Walter Russell Mead

ChangingtheParadigms 85

muchthesamewayitsdomesticpolicydoes:fromthedemocraticpoliti-
calprocess.
Theforeignpolicypiegetsdividedinthesamewaythatdomestic
lobbiesexertpolicyinfluence basedon theirpoliticalstrength, their
institutionalposition,andtheprioritytheysetonparticularpolicyout-
comes. Anindustrygroupgetspreferentialtreatment foritsforeign
tradeinterestsinmuchthesamewayit getsfavorabletreatmentinthe
taxcode.Animpassionedandwell-financedethniclobbycanenjoyenor-
mousinfluenceovera particular,narrowlydefinedsegmentofAmerican
foreignpolicyinmuchthesamewaythatsingle-issuelobbygroupsgain
influenceindomesticpolicy.Thesqueakingwheelgetsthegrease,and
bythetimeallthegoodiesarehandedout,almosteverybodygetssome-
thing.
Thatisdemocracyinactioninourforeign,aswellasinourdomestic,
policy. Yet,overthelongsweepofhistory,itappearsthattheUnited
Stateshasfollowedpoliciesthatprogressivelymadeitricher,stronger,
andsaferthanothercountriesusingmoreconventionalandrespectable
methods.Howdidthishappen?
Thebasicansweris,ofcourse,thesameonethatisoftengivento
explainwhythedemocraticprocessworksindomesticpolicy:Thefinal
resultmoreorlessaccuratelyreflectsthewishesoftheinterestgroups
andindividualswhocomposea givensociety.Iftheresultsoftheprocess
displease a substantialportionofthepublic,thatdissatisfactionwill
becomeanincreasinglypowerfulpoliticalforcethatpullspolicyback
ina directionthatreducesdissatisfaction.Thesystemisstablebecauseit
is homeostatic;althoughsocial interestgroupsperceivethemselvesas
engagedina constantstruggle,theneteffectofallthosestrugglesis
tokeepsocietyconstantlyseekingthepointatwhichdissatisfactionis
minimized.
Noneofthisistosaythatsuchresultsarealwaysorevenoftenfair;for
historical andeconomic reasons, theUnitedStates hasmanygroups
whosepoliticalstrengthisnotcommensuratewiththeirnumbers.This
is trueinforeignaswellasindomesticpolicy.Somerelativelysmalleth-
nicgroupsarewellorganized,andtheirlobbiesarewellfunded;other
groupsmaybelargerinabsolutenumberbutweakerinpoliticalinflu-
ence.ThereareapproximatelyfourtimesasmanyMexicanAmericans
asJewishAmericansintheUnitedStates,r°butMexicodoesnot(yet)
receivefourtimestheattention,aid,andsupportIsraeldoes.Neverthe-
less,tothedegreethatMexicans,Jews,Turks,Greeks,Arabs,Irish,Ital-
ians,Poles,andmanyothersorganizethemselvesanddevoteresourcesto