Modern, U.S. Foreign Policy Doctrines “ Today we did what we had to do. They counted on America to be passive. They counted wrong .” - Ronald Reagan In 1793 the (George) Washington administration faced a significant, foreign policy concern. As a result of the French Revolution and the subsequent decapitation of the French king, Louis XVI, the major European nations declared war on France. France, a critical ally of the United States during the American Revolutionary War, sought help from their erstwhile allies. American citizens were quite divided about the escalating European war. Whereas many Americans were sympathetic to the French people’s quest to rid themselves of the old regime and to embrace the revolutionary rallying cry, “Liberté, égalité, fraternité,” the subsequent radical turn of the French Revolution soured many Americans to the French revolutionary cause. President George Washington, based on the unanimous consent of his executive cabinet comprised of Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, Henry Knox, and Edmund Randolph, decided that the United States must avoid, at all costs, military involvement on the European continent. (Dehler, n.d.) Yet, compounding the administration’s concerns were the uncertain Constitutional waters regarding the management of foreign policy. Whereas Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution provided Congress the ability “to declare war,” Article II, Section 2 allowed the U.S. president to “make treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur.” (U.S. Constitution) Washington’s cabinet argued that the administration must issue some sort of statement regarding U.S. foreign policy concerning the escalating, European war. Thus, asserting the President’s ability to conduct foreign affairs, the Washington administration issued the first foreign policy document: a proclamation of neutrality. The opening paragraph of the Neutrality Proclamation on April 22, 1793, stated: “Whereas it appears that a state of war exists between Austria, Prussia, Sardinia, Great-Britain, and the United Netherlands, of the one part, and France on the other, and the duty and interest of the United States require, that they should with sincerity and good faith adopt and pursue a conduct friendly and impartial toward the belligerent powers.” (U.S. Archives, 2002) As a result, precedent was set: the executive branch could now conduct foreign policy without the consent of Congress. In 1823, thirty years after the Proclamation of Neutrality, President Monroe famously introduced the Monroe Doctrine which warned European nations to steer clear of U.S. interests in the Western hemisphere. (U.S. State Department, n.d.) Subsequently, from Washington's Proclamation of Neutrality to the G.W. Bush’s doctrine of military preemption, presidents have introduced foreign policy doctrines that best articulate U.S. foreign policy interests. Directions : Using the required, academic readings , and supplemental academic research.

1. Modern, U.S. Foreign Policy Doctrines
“
Today we did what we had to do. They counted on America to
be passive. They counted wrong
.” - Ronald Reagan
In 1793 the (George) Washington administration faced a
significant, foreign policy concern. As a result of the French
Revolution and the subsequent decapitation of the French king,
Louis XVI, the major European nations declared war on France.
France, a critical ally of the United States during the American
Revolutionary War, sought help from their erstwhile allies.
American citizens were quite divided about the escalating
European war. Whereas many Americans were sympathetic to
the French people’s quest to rid themselves of the old regime
and to embrace the revolutionary rallying cry, “Liberté, égalité,
fraternité,” the subsequent radical turn of the French Revolution
soured many Americans to the French revolutionary cause.
President George Washington, based on the unanimous consent
of his executive cabinet comprised of Thomas Jefferson,
Alexander Hamilton, Henry Knox, and Edmund Randolph,
decided that the United States must avoid, at all costs, military
involvement on the European continent. (Dehler, n.d.)
Yet, compounding the administration’s concerns were the
uncertain Constitutional waters regarding the management of
foreign policy. Whereas Article I, Section 8 of the U.S.
Constitution provided Congress the ability “to declare war,”
Article II, Section 2 allowed the U.S. president to “make
treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur.”

2. (U.S. Constitution)
Washington’s cabinet argued that the administration must issue
some sort of statement regarding U.S. foreign policy concerning
the escalating, European war. Thus, asserting the President’s
ability to conduct foreign affairs, the Washington
administration issued the first foreign policy document: a
proclamation of neutrality. The opening paragraph of the
Neutrality Proclamation on April 22, 1793, stated: “Whereas it
appears that a state of war exists between Austria, Prussia,
Sardinia, Great-Britain, and the United Netherlands, of the one
part, and France on the other, and the duty and interest of the
United States require, that they should with sincerity and good
faith adopt and pursue a conduct friendly and impartial toward
the belligerent powers.” (U.S. Archives, 2002) As a result,
precedent was set: the executive branch could now conduct
foreign policy without the consent of Congress.
In 1823, thirty years after the Proclamation of Neutrality,
President Monroe famously introduced the Monroe Doctrine
which warned European nations to steer clear of U.S. interests
in the Western hemisphere. (U.S. State Department, n.d.)
Subsequently, from Washington's Proclamation of Neutrality to
the G.W. Bush’s doctrine of military preemption, presidents
have introduced foreign policy doctrines that best articulate
U.S. foreign policy interests.
Directions
: Using the required,
academic readings
, and supplemental academic research, please address the
following while adhering to the
Discussion Board Rubric
:

3. Select a modern, presidential doctrine from the following list:
Truman Doctrine
Eisenhower Doctrine
Kennedy Doctrine
Johnson Doctrine
Nixon Doctrine
Ford Doctrine
Carter Doctrine
Reagan Doctrine
G.H.W. Bush Doctrine
Clinton Doctrine
G.W. Bush Doctrine
Obama Doctrine
Trump Doctrine
Provide a brief summary of the foreign policy doctrine.
Contrast this foreign policy doctrine with pre-WWII U.S.
foreign policy.

4. Explain the historical circumstances that produced the foreign
policy doctrine.
How did the Cold War or the War on Terror shape this foreign
policy doctrine?
Provide a specific example when the foreign policy doctrine
was utilized.
Analyze the short- and long-term result of this specific
example.
Evaluate the foreign policy doctrine in terms of U.S. self-
interest and America’s international reputation.
References:
Dehler, G. (n.d.).
Neutrality Proclamation
. Retrieved from
https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-
encyclopedia/article/neutrality-proclamation/.
Founders Online: Neutrality Proclamation, 22 April 1793
. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-12-02-

5. 0371.
Monroe Doctrine, 1823
. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://history.state.gov/milestones/1801-1829/monroe.
The Constitution of the United States
. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.archives.gov/founding-
docs/constitution.