Americans and Everyone Else: The Origins and Meaning of U.S. Foreign Policy

No matter how things unfold in the world, the United States of America remains one of the key players on the global stage. Their actions, whether liked or not, elicit a strong response from other countries. Some want to adopt the U.S. model, some want to do the exact opposite, and some simply want to learn from their experience. What is the "American model" that has sparked such interest for more than a century? What internal and external policy factors have led to America becoming what it is today?
Renowned American historian Ivan Kurilla analyzes how the key elements of the American model—democracy, exceptionalism, messianism, and much more—were formed, how expansionism replaced isolationism, and how idealism and rationalism coexist.