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

244 SPECIALPROVIDENCE

diplomacyareoftenthinkingoftheJacksoniantradition.Jacksonian
populism,which,accordingtosuchstudentsofAmericanpublicopinion
as MichaelLind, remains the most widespread politicalphilosophy
amongtheAmericanpopulationatlarge,isstrongeramongthemassof
ordinarypeoplethanitisamongtheelite.Itismorestronglyentrenched
intheheartlandthanoneitherofthetwocoasts.Ithasbeenhistorically
associatedwithwhiteProtestantmalesofthelowerandmiddleclasses,
theleastfashionableelementintheAmericanpoliticalmixtoday.
AlthoughtherearemanylearnedandthoughtfulJacksonians,includ-
ingsomewhohavemadedistinguishedcareersinpublicservice,itis cer-
tainlytruethatJacksonianphilosophyisembracedbylargenumbersof
peoplewhoknowverylittleaboutthewiderworldinwhichtheUnited
Statesfinds itself.Jacksonianpoliticalphilosophyisoftenaninstinct
ratherthananideology,a culturallyshapedoutlookthattheindividual
maynothaveworkedoutintellectually,a setofbeliefsandemotions
ratherthana setofideas.However,ideasandpolicyproposalsthatreso-
natewithJacksonianvaluesandinstinctsenjoywidesupportandcan
usuallyfindinfluentialsupportersinthepolicyprocess.Soinfluentialis
Jacksonianopinion intheformationofAmerican foreignpolicythat
anyonelackinganearforthispopularfeelingwillfindmuchofAmeri-
canforeign policybaffling andopaque.Foreigners inparticularhave
alternatelyover-andunderestimatedAmericandeterminationbecause
theyfailedtograspthestructureofJacksonianopinionandinfluence.
YetJacksonianviews onforeignaffairs arerelativelystraightforward;
oncetheyareunderstood,Americanforeignpolicybecomesmuchless
mysterious.

Realism

Tobeginwith,althoughtheotherschoolsoftencongratulatethem-

selvesontheirsuperiorsophisticationandappreciationofcomplexity,

JacksoniansprovidethebasisinAmericanlifeforwhatmanyscholars

andpractitionerswouldconsiderthemostsophisticatedapproachtofor-

eignaffairs:realism. WhileinthelastanalysisJacksonianrealistsare

AmericanratherthanContinentalrealists,ofalltheAmericanschools

theyareclosesttothepractitionersofclassicEuropeanrealpolitikin

theirsuspicionofWilsonianandHamiltonianenthusiasmsforinterna-

tionallaw.InthistheystandwithJeffersonians,deeplysuspiciousofthe