US History Cycles - Extroverted vs. Introverted foreign policy

[lpetrich]

Arthur Schlesinger Jr. in Cycles of American History:

A cyclical rhythm exists in foreign policy as well. Over thirty years ago Frank L. Klingberg analyzed what he called “the historical alternation of moods in American foreign policy.” He uncovered a periodic swing between “extroversion”— a readiness to use direct diplomatic, military or economic pressure on other nations to gain American ends— and “introversion”— a concentration on concerns of the national community. Examining wars, annexations, armed expeditions, naval expenditures, presidential statements and party platforms, Klingberg in 1952 identified seven alternations since 1776 ...

(Page 7 of 56) - Long-Term US Foreign Policy Moods and Involvement in System Wars: Is There Any Way to Reduce the Odds? authored by Lawrence, Colin., Holmes, Jack., Johnson, Lauren. and Aardema, Sara.
Peter Beinart - The Isolation Pendulum
H-Net Reviews - Klingberg's book Positive Expectations of America's World Role: Historical Cycles of Realistic Idealism

1776-1797	Int	Revolution, establishment of government
1798-1823	Ext	French naval war, Louisiana Purchase, War of 1812
1824-1844	Int	Nullification crisis, Texas question
1845-1870	Ext	Texas and Oregon annexations, Mexican War, Civil War
1871-1890	Int
1891-1918	Ext	Spanish-American War, World War I
1919-1939	Int	League of Nations rejection, Neutrality Acts
1940-1967	Ext	World War II, Cold War, Korean and Vietnam Wars
1968-1988	Int	Vietnamization, détente, fall of the Soviet Union
1989-	Ext	Post-Cold-War assertion, Gulf War, War on Terror

The dates are approximate.

Most big US wars and US territorial acquisitions have happened in extroverted eras. However, conquest of First Nations people was in both extroverted and introverted eras. But that happened mostly inside of territory claimed by the US in its dealings with other big nations. Nations like Britain, France, Spain, Mexico, and Russia. If the Cahokian society had survived, then Cahokia may have been worth including among them.

With the Iraq War ended and the Afghanistan War winding down, the US seems like it's entering another introverted era.

What makes this cycle happen is likely something internal, and independent of what makes the liberal-conservative cycle happen. But they are nevertheless connected:

For each phase of the domestic cycle defines the national interest in terms of its own values. Each uses foreign policy to project those values abroad. Public-purpose eras tend to incorporate into foreign policy ideas of democracy, reform, human rights, civil liberties, social change, affirmative government. Such eras display a preference abroad for democratic center-left regimes. Private-interest eras tend to conceive international affairs in terms of capitalism, private investment, the magic of the marketplace, the defense of American corporations doing business in foreign lands. Such eras display a preference abroad for right-wing and authoritarian regimes that promise protection for private capital.

As with liberal and conservative eras, extroverted and introverted eras are likely self-limiting. Extroverted eras likely end by burnout by big wars: the 1812 War, the Civil War, World War I, and the Vietnam War. The current one will likely end the same way. Introverted eras at least sometimes end from lack of response to challenges from other nations. An obvious one is the early 20th cy. one, where the US was up against Germany and Japan. FDR got a military buildup going and send a lot of aid to Britain, over the objections of the "America First" movement. But Japan's attack of Pearl Harbor shut up the America Firsters.

 

[rousseau]

So politics are reactionary?

 

[Keith&Co.]

I always thought it just depended on whether the president wanted to prove his manhood by seducing 19-year-olds in the Oval office, or by sending 19-year-olds into battle....?

 

[Perspicuo]

I disagree on "1968-1988" being introverted. It was an extremely extroverted period which is still in force today. The difference with the "1989-" period is that now there's no Soviet Union to check the US--a state of affairs Vlad Putin is determined to change.
After the Vietnam fiasco, interventions were merely different in their approach, but still multifarious and worldwide.