Michael Mandelbaum’s The Four Ages of American Foreign Policy: Weak Power, Great Power, Superpower, Hyperpower describes the nation’s changing views towards international relations and its gradual increased influence as a world power.
The four ages are roughly defined into 50 to 80 year periods that correspond with major domestic or international events that see America’s role on the international stage transformed. The weak power phase covers the United States’ history through the Civil War, with the great power phase taking it to the conclusion of World War II, at which point the nation became one of the two global superpowers along with the Soviet Union. The fall of the Soviet Union corresponds with the United States’s transition to hyperpower as the only major power internationally. However, the author ends the hyperpower phase in 2015 as China’s rise and America’s unwillingness to be as engaged in international trade and peace relations is setting the stage for a new phase that is to be determined in length and just what America’s role is.
Mandelbaum does a very good job chronicling major American decisions and policies over the country’s history and how those choices impacted the domestic and world stage. The author highlights the positives and negatives, offering a fair perspective of the country’s foreign policy history. Summing up over 240 years of history into 450 pages is a tough task. While this book does not get in the weeds on every single part of American foreign policy, the major points and concepts are covered with proper care.
MY RATING - 4
