Preview

The Good Neighbor Policy: A Comparative Analysis

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1270 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Good Neighbor Policy: A Comparative Analysis
Northeastern University

“The Good Neighbor Policy” – A Comparative Analysis based on Chile and South Vietnam

Thomas T. Thomas
International Relations – POL2051
Professor: Jim J. Jones
1/1/2014

FRAMEWORK
Providing an answer to the question within the context of International Relations requires us to perform a comprehensive policy analysis utilizing a framework, which allows us to examine several factors at the individual, domestic and international level. Additionally we must consider the administration’s frame of mind and approach concerning American Foreign Policy going back to Franklin D. Roosevelt and the events that took place leading up to WWII. Lastly we must deliberate on the detrimental alternatives of the falling “domino theory”, an approach to foreign affairs that dominated the Truman administration leading up to the Cold War era; we’ll evaluate the potential impact of this theory based on Chile and South Vietnam -- two countries which were overthrown with support from the US Government, aided by the newly formed CIA agency.
…show more content…
This principle served three purposes: Separate the spheres of influence between the realm of autocratic Europe and the New World, non-colonization, and non-intervention. The United States had a history of military interventions when protecting its national interests during the 19th century. In the beginning of the 20th century we start to see a gradual shift towards diplomacy in the approach to foreign policy with FDR’s introduction of the “good neighbor policy”.

FOREIGN POLICY FRAME OF MIND BETWEEN ADMINISTRATIONS
FDR AND TRUMAN FOREIGN

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Since the first World War, the Americans became aware of the “merchants of death” and became more determined than ever to avoid foreign wars. Moreover, they were in middle of the reconstruction from the Great Depression and the problems abroad was over the nation’s capacity. As American isolationism expanded, it influenced President Roosevelt’s foreign policy toward neutrality to keep the United States out of future wars. However, when World War II erupted in war-mad Europe, many Americans insisted on the morality of U.S. neutrality and attempted to support their friend, Great Britain, in a nominal to protect the democracies of the world. Therefore, the isolationists’ charge of Franklin Roosevelt with deception in his policies are valid to some extent since the “neutral” acts were intended to support the Allies.…

    • 621 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Roosevelt’s mixed character towards diplomacy displayed more than an imperialist’s disdain for inferiors and respect for peers. His warning to Germany over Venezuela, acquisition of the Canal Zone, and especially enunciation of the Roosevelt Corollary all sprang from a well-defined strategy of forestalling incursions by European powers in the Western Hemisphere. Roosevelt pursued that goal assiduously for the sake of both his country’s security and the world’s harmony and order.…

    • 70 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    After witnessing and being involved in uncontrollable European affairs, the growing nation of the United States concluded that an international policy of neutrality would be the best option in the area of foreign affairs. During his presidency, Washington decided that it was best for America to stay neutral. As stated in his Proclamation of Neutrality that any American providing assistance to any country at war would be punished with legal proceedings (D). He was aware of the possible dangers that would occur when allying with a certain country. The country was too new to enter any wars or deal with wars of foreign countries. “Europe has a set of primary interests…Hence she must be engaged in frequent controversies, the causes of which are essentially foreign to our concerns” (J). Even in his farewell address, Washington advised the fledgling nation to not get involved in European affairs or make permanent alliances, to avoid sectionalism, and to not form political parties. After Washington resigned from office, John Adams tried to maintain the…

    • 1316 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    After the events leading up to World War I and also the aftermath of the war itself, the United States government decided to take a second look at their policy of isolationism and also their foreign policy. That second look caused plenty of controversies between the people in America who supported a return to isolationism and also those who wished to see a change in United Sates by taking a much more active role in not only European affairs, but world affairs in general.…

    • 513 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In Woodrow Wilson’s address, he expressed two main American interests which were to make the world safe for democracy and to help countries become independent. However, he did not express all of the United States’ wants. One interest that was not expressed was that the U.S. wanted revenge for the people and the property lost. Another interest that wasn’t shown was the fact of America wanting to be “imperialistic” instead of spreading democracy. In reality, America wanted to have authority over other countries and this would have been achieved by winning a war.…

    • 609 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the United States was their relationships with other countries and not isolating themselves, foreign policies had to be developed in order to guide it’s interactions with the world. There were three policies of the late 19th century and early 20th century that were used as justification for intervention with Latin America. One foreign policy of the time was Roosevelt’s Big Stick Diplomacy, or more commonly known as the Roosevelt Corollary. “Walk softly, but carry a big stick” was the motto for the Roosevelt Corollary, which focused on justifying the United States interactions and military interventions with Latin America as the U.S. was the big brother of Latin America. In contrast, another foreign policy…

    • 510 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Before 1890, The United States had few clear consistence’s of foreign policies, but in 1905, the Philippines, Guan, Hawaii, Puerto Rico there were dramatic changes in Americas roll in foreign affairs. Theodor Roosevelt entered the presidency with definite ideas of the place of United States in the world. He and McKinley expanded America’s role in world affairs. He would divide the nations of worthy to protect or not protect by categorizing them civilized or barbarians.…

    • 537 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Foreign Policy Dbq

    • 347 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In 1898, the U.S. had to come up with policies as they started more interactions with foreign countries. Three different people had different ideas: Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson. This paper is going to be a review on what their ideas were and whether or not they would have helped.…

    • 347 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Good Neighbor Policy

    • 759 Words
    • 4 Pages

    “Franklin Roosevelt’s Good Neighbor Policy was a more ethical, moral, respectful, and neighborly approach to international relations than that of his predecessors.” This is exactly what U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt wanted his new foreign policy of 1933 to be. The Good Neighbor policy was the United State’s new foreign policy, stating that they were to no longer intervene militarily in other countries; they would no longer imperialize the world, and instead were to become “good neighbors” to the other countries. The Good Neighbor policy sounds like a great idea, but when one comes to think of it, why would they need to patch up things? Something, or in this case many things, led to the creation of the Good Neighbor Policy which was long overdue.…

    • 759 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Although economic interests were very important to the United States as they enacted tariffs and taxes on, for example, Hawaii and any incoming good from other countries, in fact, political and strategic advantages prevailed in the creation of foreign policies as the US went to wars with Mexico and even Spain in the Mexican War and the Spanish American War to gain land and new allies and annexed new lands such as Alaska and Hawaii, along with the people on those lands to increase the American influence. Being an imperialist country at the time, the United States reached out to these other nations, whether friend or foe and placed themselves firmly in the world as a country that was willing to fight for what it wanted and speak little threats.…

    • 688 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    America had wanted to expand outward and was imperializing surrounding countries for economic and political domination. There were three major terms of U.S. foreign relations. The first is the Monroe Doctrine of 1823, which expanded hemispheric relations and created an agreement of not invading European countries as long as they don’t invade…

    • 609 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The industrial revolution of the last quarter of the 19th century was the primary factor in the shifting foreign policy. As the nation became more industrialized it began to look overseas for new markets for its manufactured goods and for new sources of raw materials to feed the growing industrial system. To protect these foreign markets and raw materials the United States began to expand its power and influence overseas through the acquisition of trading centers, naval stations, and coaling ports. Indeed one of the major differences between the expansion of the 1890s and previous decades was that the nation did not see these new territories as potential states to add to the nation, but as spheres of influence in the aid of foreign trade.…

    • 1217 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    During the Vietnam War Era

    • 1109 Words
    • 5 Pages

    During the Vietnam War era, the United States and other democratic and free nations were fearful of communism spreading to more parts of the world. They fought two world wars to protect freedom, and to contain the communist movements. The foreign policy of the United States evolved to that of a pre-emptive type strike on the possibility of communism surfacing and threatening free countries. Harry S. Truman began to theorize that if a communist nation took over a non-communist state, then neighboring countries would also fall. This became known as the “domino effect,” and was the foreign policy that Dwight D. Eisenhower applied to countries in South East Asia in the 1950s.…

    • 1109 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    United States foreign policy has always been characterized by a commitment to free trade, protection of American interests, and a concern for human rights. Our founding fathers, specifically George Washington, are responsible for much of the influence regarding foreign policy after their time period and up to the present day. Washington, in his Farewell Address, warned the country to stay out of permanent foreign entanglements and to stay neutral. The United States stayed faithful to Washington’s warnings for about 125 years. But, when the age of Imperialism hit, the country was forced to intervene to prevent other countries from rising up and becoming world powers. The atrocities of imperialism caused something that America will always regret; The First World War. After the war, the United States’ foreign policy changed from all out intervention to almost complete isolation, similar to what George Washington suggested. After the Second World War, American foreign policy back once again to intervention to try and make the world a better and more peaceful place. In comparison, each foreign policy have nearly no similarities, but a wealth of differences.…

    • 1973 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Best Essays

    Kupchan, C.A., The End of the American Era: US Foreign Policy and the Geopolitics of the Twenty-first Century, New York: Knopf, 2003…

    • 2927 Words
    • 12 Pages
    Best Essays