Book
The Hell of Good Intentions: America’s Foreign Policy Elite and the Decline of U.S. Primacy
Overview
Over the past quarter century, U.S. foreign policy has been nothing if not ambitious: from fighting terrorists and spreading democracy to toppling adversaries and expanding security guarantees, Washington has spent trillions abroad. The results, Harvard Kennedy School Professor Stephen Walt argues, have been deeply disappointing. But why?
In his new book, The Hell of Good Intentions: America’s Foreign Policy Elite and the Decline of U.S. Primacy, Professor Walt exposes the inner workings of the foreign policy elite across the Bush, Clinton, and Obama administrations and shows how they have been able to avoid accountability, keep discredited ideas and policies in vogue, and maintain influence despite past blunders. Walt asserts that their recurring failures are a big reason why Donald Trump was elected.
This is not a partisan account. Both Democrats and Republicans have pursued a misguided strategy of “liberal hegemony.” Walt contends that U.S. interests would be better served by focusing our military commitments on maintaining a balance of power in Europe, East Asia, and the Persian Gulf, and by eschewing the use of force to spread democracy or dictate local politics.
Walt offers his take on what U.S. foreign policy should look like, including offshore balancing, bringing back diplomacy, and making peace a priority. He addresses leading objections to these ideas and calls on politicians to deliver the foreign policy that the majority of Americans want and deserve.
About This Book
The Hell of Good Intentions: America’s Foreign Policy Elite and the Decline of U.S. Primacy
For more information on this publication:
Belfer Communications Office
For Academic Citation:
Walt, Stephen. The Hell of Good Intentions: America’s Foreign Policy Elite and the Decline of U.S. Primacy. October 2018.
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Overview
Over the past quarter century, U.S. foreign policy has been nothing if not ambitious: from fighting terrorists and spreading democracy to toppling adversaries and expanding security guarantees, Washington has spent trillions abroad. The results, Harvard Kennedy School Professor Stephen Walt argues, have been deeply disappointing. But why?
In his new book, The Hell of Good Intentions: America’s Foreign Policy Elite and the Decline of U.S. Primacy, Professor Walt exposes the inner workings of the foreign policy elite across the Bush, Clinton, and Obama administrations and shows how they have been able to avoid accountability, keep discredited ideas and policies in vogue, and maintain influence despite past blunders. Walt asserts that their recurring failures are a big reason why Donald Trump was elected.
This is not a partisan account. Both Democrats and Republicans have pursued a misguided strategy of “liberal hegemony.” Walt contends that U.S. interests would be better served by focusing our military commitments on maintaining a balance of power in Europe, East Asia, and the Persian Gulf, and by eschewing the use of force to spread democracy or dictate local politics.
Walt offers his take on what U.S. foreign policy should look like, including offshore balancing, bringing back diplomacy, and making peace a priority. He addresses leading objections to these ideas and calls on politicians to deliver the foreign policy that the majority of Americans want and deserve.
About This Book
- Recommended
- In the Spotlight
- Most Viewed
Recommended
Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School
-Belfer Center Fellow Peter Ajak Navigates Challenges from Lost Boy to South Sudanese Activist
Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and Women in Public Policy Program, Harvard Kennedy School
-Belfer Center's Korea Project Co-Leads Planning for South Korean President's Historic Harvard Visit and Speech
Audio - A Better Peace: The War Room Podcast
He Thought Like an Insurgent: Bernard Fall
In the Spotlight
Most Viewed
Analysis & Opinions - Foreign Policy
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Paper - Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School
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