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

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policythatwasnotablysuccessful,Jeffersonianideashavebeenresponsi-
bleforpoliciesthatbroughtmanyyearsofpeaceandstabilitytothe
UnitedStatesata verylowcost.
TosomedegreeanalyzingthestrengthsandweaknessesoftheJeffer-
soniancontributiontoAmericanforeignpolicyisanintrinsicallyparti-
sanprocessthatyieldsnouniversallyacceptedanswers. Hamiltonians
wouldcriticizeJeffersoniantimidityandconstitutionalfetishism,say,on
theissueoffast-track,asendangeringmajortradeopportunitiesforthe
UnitedStates.WilsoniansmightdenouncetheJeffersonianreluctanceto
supporthumanitarianinterventionsinSomaliaandRwandaandargue
thattheresultingweaknessinAmericanforeignpolicyresultedinmajor
lossesforAmericanprestige.
Jeffersonianssimplydisagree,arguingthatthedemocracytheydefend
ismorevaluablethantheopportunitiestheylose.
Thereare,however,anumberofareasinwhichthepositivecontribu-
tionsoftheJeffersonianapproachtoforeignpolicyareindisputable.As
oneexample,theJeffersonianemphasisonmaintainingandextending
thepowerofdemocracyinAmericanlifeplaysa majorroleinkeep-
ingthepoliticalsystemhealthyandinconservingwhattrustremains
betweentherulersandtheruledinthecontemporaryUnitedStates.
Legitimacyinmassdemocracyisa fragilething;thepowerofJefferson-
ianideasaboutdemocracyisoneoftheprimarysupportsenjoyedbyour
formofgovernment.FurthermorethelongJeffersonianstruggleagainst
centralauthoritymayhavewononlylimitedvictoriesagainstHamilton-
ianandWilsoniancentralizers,butthosevictoriesareimportantandwill
bemoresointhefut,ure.AsthesheersizeoftheAmericanpopulation
grows,maintainingthehealthandautonomyofstateandlocalgovern-
mentswillbecomesteadilymoreimportant.Thelesspowerindividual
citizenscanhopetoexerciseatthenationallevel,themoreimportantit
isthatseriousquestionscanbedebatedandresolvedatthestateandlocal
levels,wheretheaveragepersoncanstillbea participantindemocracy
ratherthansimplya spectator.
AnothermajorcontributionisthatJeffersonianideashaveproduced
andcontinuetoproducesomeofthemostbrilliantthinkersandscholars
inthefieldofAmericanforeignpolicy.WhetheronelooksatJefferson
himself,JohnQuincyAdams,or,morerecently,figureslikeGeorgeKen-
nanand(insomephasesofhislongandvariedcareer)WalterLippmann,
itisstrikinghowmanyofourmostbrilliantforeignpolicyintellectuals
havebeenshapedinlargepartbyJeffersonianconcerns.
TheJeffersonianmind-set,eagertounderstandforeign states and