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

TheKaleidoscopeofAmericanForeignPolicy 5 I

Europe'ssuspicionoftheinfluenceofdemocracyonforeignpolicy
wasmorethanpolitical-sciencetheory. Foreignpolicyhashistorically
beenseeninmostcountriesastheareainwhichthepowerofthestate
hasreignedsupreme,andwithinthestatethemostpoweroverforeign
policyhasusuallygonetothemostcentralizedandmightyorgansof
state.NobodyinmodernEuropedoubtedthatforeignpolicywas the
preserveofthecentralauthoritiesasopposedtothatofregionalunitsin
a federation. Foreignpolicywasthearea inwhichEurope'smonarchs
clungmosttenaciouslytotheirhistoricpowersagainstthedemandsof
parliamentarians.TheHapsburgsandtheHohenzollernsnevergaveup
theirpersonalcontroloverforeignpolicy;eventhekingsandqueensof
Britainpreservedmorepowerherethantheydidindomesticaffairs.
GeorgeIIIwaslargelyresponsibleforBritain'sAmericanpolicyupto
andduringtheAmericanRevolution.PrinceAlbertplayedanimportant
roleinBritishdiplomacyuntilhisinvolvementintheTrentcrisis,shortly
beforehisdeath.InthetwentiethcenturyEdwardVII'spersonaldiplo-
macyhelpedbringabouttheAnglo-Frenchrapprochementintherunup
toWorldWarI, andGeorgeV'srefusaltoshakehandswiththeBolshe-
vikmurderersofhisrelativesCzarNicholasII,EmpressAlexandra,and
theirsonandfourdaughters,delayedBritishrecognitionofBolshevik
Russia. Eventoday,foreign policyis themostjealouslyguardedand
privilegedaspectofstatepowerthroughmuchoftheworld.Mostdemo-
craticgovernmentshavemorepowertokeepsecretsinforeignpolicy
thantheydoindomesticaffairs,andthereis analmostuniversalfeeling
amongEuropeangovernmentsthatforeignpolicyshouldbe,as faras
possible,insulatedfromtheturmoilofdemocraticpolitics.
TheframersoftheConstitutionwerewellawareofthisview,andof
thereasonsforit,andthedivisionofpowersintheConstitutionreflects
thisconventionalEuropeanbelief.Inforeignpolicy,thefederalgovern-
mentis supreme,withnopowersreservedtothestates.Withinthefed-
eralgovernment,powerisconcentrated intheexecutive branch.The
presidenthasmorepowerinforeignpolicy,andintherelateddomainof
militaryaffairs,thaninanyotherareas.TheSenatecangivehimadvice,
andhistreatiesandambassadorialappointmentsrequireitsconsent.The
HouseofRepresentatives-untilthetwentiethcentury,theonlybranch
ofthefederalgovernmentelectedbydirectpopularvote-hasevenless
power;itsroleis limitedtovotingappropriationsanddeclarationsof
war.Thepowerofjudicialreviewoverforeignpolicydecisionsisalso
severelylimited;treatiesareexpresslydeclared"thesupremelawofthe