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

88 SPECIALPR.OVIDENCE

hasbotha moralanda practicaldutytospreaditsvaluesthroughthe
world. Thisschool iscalledtheWilsonianschoolforobviousreasons,
althoughtherewereWilsonianslongbeforeWoodrowWilsonwasborn.
Moreinterestedinthelegalandmoralaspect~ofworldorderthanin
theeconomicagendasupportedbyHamiltonians,Wilsonianstypically
believethatAmericaninterestsrequirethatothercountriesacceptbasic
Americanvaluesandconductboththeirforeignanddomesticaffairs
accordingly.ThisschoolhasmuchdeeperrootsfartherbackinAmerican
historythanissometimesrecognized;Americanforeignpolicyinmany
partsoftheworldhasbeenheavilyinfluencedbytheactivitiesandlob-
byingofAmericanmissionaries.
AthirdschoolthathasoftenopposedHamiltonianpolicyhastypi-
callyseenthepreservationofAmericandemocracyina dangerousworld
asthemostpressingandvitalinterestoftheAmericanpeople.Ithascon-
sistentlylookedfortheleastcostlyanddangerousmethodofdefending
Americanindependencewhilecounselingagainstattemptstoimpose
Americanvaluesonothercountries.Thisschoolhasincludedsomeofthe
mostdistinguishedandelegantstrategicthinkersinAmericanhistory-
menlikeJohnQuincyAdamsandGeorgeKennan-aswellaspassionate
andprouddemocraticisolationistslikethehistorianCharlesBeardand
thenovelistandpoliticalessayistGoreVidal.WhileWalterLippmann's
complicatedintellectualmakeup,combinedwitha longandactivecareer,
preventhimfrombeingassignedtoonlyoneschool,hisconcernfor"sol-
vency"inforeignrelationsandhisdesiretoachieveAmericanstrategic
goalsatthelowestpossibleriskandcostplacehimatleastpartlyinthis
camp.I havecalledthistheJeffersonianschool.WhileJefferson'sown
foreignpolicyoftendeviatedfromorthodoxJeffersonianprinciples,on
balancehisdeepestconcernsaboutAmericandestinyandlibertyresonate
betterwiththisschoolthanwithanyother.
ThefinalschoolisnamedforAndrew Jackson,notsomuchatribute
tothepersonalviewsortheforeignpolicyrecordofthenation'sseventh
presidentasa recognitionoftheenormouspopulistappealthatenabled
himtoelectrifyandtransformAmericanpolitics.TheJacksonianschool
represents a deeply embedded, widely spread populist and popular
culture ofhonor, independence, courage, and militarypride among
theAmericanpeople.ArizonasenatorJohnMcCainappealstoJackson-
iansentiment;sodidWorldWarIIgeneralsGeorgeS. PattonJr.and
MacArthur.OnemeasureofJacksonianinfluenceinAmericanpolitics
isthedegreetowhichsuccessfulgeneralsbecomeformidablepolitical