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Palgrave Macmillan

War and American Foreign Policy

Justifications of Major Military Actions in the US

  • Book
  • © 2021

Overview

Authors:
  1. David J. Lorenzo

    1. College of International Affairs, National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan

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  • Offers a discussion of a jus ad bellum standard that spans the entire history of major American wars, from the War of 1812 to the Second Gulf War

  • Shows that a Necessity Standard needs to be met when arguing to take the US to war

  • Highlights the military and security policies that one can glean from presidential discussions of war

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Table of contents (13 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xii
    Download chapter PDF

  2. Discussions of War and the Necessity Standard

    • David J. Lorenzo
    Pages 1-12

  3. The Necessity Standard, Arguments, and Norms

    • David J. Lorenzo
    Pages 13-40

  4. The War of 1812

    • David J. Lorenzo
    Pages 41-61

  5. The War with Mexico

    • David J. Lorenzo
    Pages 63-85

  6. The War with Spain and the Insurgency in the Philippines

    • David J. Lorenzo
    Pages 87-107

  7. The Great War

    • David J. Lorenzo
    Pages 109-129

  8. World War II

    • David J. Lorenzo
    Pages 131-152

  9. Korea and the Early Cold War

    • David J. Lorenzo
    Pages 153-169

  10. The War in Vietnam

    • David J. Lorenzo
    Pages 171-196

  11. The First Gulf War

    • David J. Lorenzo
    Pages 197-216

  12. The Second Gulf War

    • David J. Lorenzo
    Pages 217-241

  13. The Necessity Standard in Recent Policy Discussions

    • David J. Lorenzo
    Pages 243-254

  14. The Necessity Standard and Discussions of War in the US

    • David J. Lorenzo
    Pages 255-279

  15. Back Matter

    Pages 281-286
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Keywords

About this book

This book explores presidential justifications of every major American military conflict from the War of 1812 to the Second Gulf War. It generates two important findings. First, presidents employ a specific standard (the Necessity Standard) publicly to justify decisions to go to war, and privately to make decisions regarding war and peace. The Necessity Standard holds that major military force should be used if no viable alternatives are available to protect vital interests or discharge duties. Second, when addressing the Necessity Standard, presidents have disclosed military and security policies that vary considerably in their patience with alternatives and their definitions of vital interests and duties. The book concludes by characterizing wars, categorizing presidential policies, and outlining how the central position of the Necessity Standard in the American politics of war and peace might affect policymaking processes, conflict management, and the public’s perceptions of wars and foreign policy.

Reviews

“This is a useful book for a US Foreign Policy class, but in its arrangement as case studies, even more suited as a course assignment on a particular conflict--there are valuable discussion points … .” (Margaret Sankey, goodreads.com, October 16, 2021)

Authors and Affiliations

  • College of International Affairs, National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan

    David J. Lorenzo

About the author

David J. Lorenzo is a professor in the College of International Affairs, National Chengchi University, Taiwan. He is the author of various books and other publications addressing political theory and issues of war and peace, including articles in the American Journal of Political Science, World Affairs, and Democracy and Security. 

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