332 SPECIALPROVIDENCEtancetoengageinunnecessaryrisksandwars,anda clear-sightedvision
ofkeynationalinterests,resultedinthemostelegantsolutionpossible-
thepolicythatdidthemostandcosttheleast.
To achieve thatresult theJeffersonians oftheAdams erahad.to
overcomemanyoftheirowndearestbeliefs.Theyhadtoacceptthatan
arrangementwithBritainwasinthebestinterestsoftheUnitedStates-
a directreversaloftheforeignpolicyideasthatJeffersonhadadvocatedas
farbackastheWashingtonadministration.TheMonroeDoctrinewas
partandparcelofa largerJeffersonianretrenchment;itwasthepartyof
JeffersonthatcharteredtheSecondBankoftheUnitedStates,passeda
protectivetariff,and developeda programfornational infrastructure
developmentthatcould almosthavecomefromthepenofHamilton.
InallthistheJeffersonianswerenotsomuchdisavowingtheirideals
asadaptingthemtotherealworld.TheUnitedStatescouldneverpros-
perwithoutmanufacturingandtrade.Itcouldneverbesecurewithout
somekindofarrangementwithBritain.Giventhat,thequestionbecame:
Howcouldthecountryaccommodatenecessitywiththeleastpossible
riskandcost?
ThisapproachtoforeignpolicywillbecriticalforAmericansuccess
inthefurure.TheUnitedStateshasglobalinterestsandduties;Hamil-
toniansandWilsoniansarerightaboutthis.Yetthepoliciestheypropose
aresometimesimpracticalandsometimesunwise.FurthermoreHamil-
tonianandWilsonianproposalsforinternationalcooperationraisepro-
foundanddifficultquestions.JusthowfarshouldtheUnitedStatesgoin
poolingsovereigntywithothercountriesforthesakeofvariouseconomic
orpoliticalobjectives?Howmuchofa worldcriminalcourtdoweneed?
HowmuchpowershouldtheWTOhaveoveractsofCongressandstate
legislatures?
Oftenquestionslikethesetaketheformsoftrade-offs.Howmuch
authorityoverNATOdecisionsmusttheUnitedStatesshareinorderto
getmorehelpoutoftheallies?HowmuchmoneydoestheUnitedStates
need tocontribute totheIMF ortheWorld Bank,and how much
decision-makingpowermustweshare withothercountriesinthese
institutionssothattheyareabletoactmosteffectivelytostabilizethe
internationaleconomyandpromoterapideconomicgrowthindevelop-
ingnations?
Americansdonotneedandprobablycannotgeta permanentconsen-
susabourtheseanddozensofother,similarquestions,butwedoneed
moreagreementontheway weevaluate answerstothesequestions.