Conservative Internationalism Armed Diplomacy under Jefferson, Polk, Truman, and Reagan: A Book Discussion with Henry R.

Nau

On Tuesday September 24, 2013, the Transatlantic Academy hosted a luncheon discussion with Henry Nau on his new book, Conservative Internationalism Armed Diplomacy under Jefferson, Polk, Truman, and Reagan . In this book, Nau explores the U.S. foreign policy tradition he calls conservative internationalism in the foreign policies of Thomas Jefferson, James Polk, Harry Truman, and Ronald Reagan. These presidents, Nau argues, did more than any others to expand the arc of freedom using a deft combination of force, diplomacy, and compromise. Nau makes the case that, since Reagan, presidents have swung back and forth among the main foreign policy traditions, overreaching under Bush and now retrenching under Obama. In this session, Nau presented his book, and showed how the United States can use conservative internationalism to effectively sustain global leadership over the long term while respecting the constraints of public will and material resources. The presentation of the book was followed by expert commentary by Transatlantic Academy Senior Fellow Charles Kupchan. Henry R. Nau is professor of political science and international affairs in the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University. His many books include The Myth of Americas Decline, At Home and Abroad, and Perspectives on International Relations. Charles A. Kupchan is a senior fellow at the Transatlantic Academy, professor of international affairs at Georgetown University, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, and the author of No Ones World: The West, the Rising Rest, and the Coming Global Turn.