HOW THE MYTH OF AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM SHAPED ITS FOREIGN POLICY DURING THE COLD WAR

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Each nation tends to see itself as unique. In its claim of the master race, German or Aryan races consider themselves the highest in an assumed racial hierarchy. France and her theory of Assimilation pride herself to be more superior to any other existing culture. With her population, financial and human resources within the continent, Nigeria considers itself as the “Giant of Africa”. With its advancement in North America and her ideology of expansionism, the United States propagated the theory of Manifest Destiny when it claimed that it was inevitable and good that the United States should occupy the continent “from sea to shining sea”.1 While each nation is free to refer to itself as it desires, there must be a certain degree of justification. This was the case with the United States which considers itself exceptional because of the alleged universality of its values. Due to this, the United States has moved on from its old idea of Manifest Destiny to develop a concept of Exceptionalism which from time to time reflects in its foreign policy agenda. In no small measure, this particular special concept shaped the foreign policy of the United States during the Cold War and continues to guide and direct its policies up till now. This paper investigates the impact of American exceptionalism on U.S. foreign policy during the Cold War era. It also emphasizes on various programmes and personalities that contributed immensely in turning the myth to reality during the stipulated period.

 

 

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APA

Haastrup, A. (2019). HOW THE MYTH OF AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM SHAPED ITS FOREIGN POLICY DURING THE COLD WAR. Afribary. Retrieved from https://afribary.com/works/how-the-myth-of-american-exceptionalism-shaped-its-foreign-policy-during-the-cold-war

MLA 8th

Haastrup, Adeyemi "HOW THE MYTH OF AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM SHAPED ITS FOREIGN POLICY DURING THE COLD WAR" Afribary. Afribary, 22 Oct. 2019, https://afribary.com/works/how-the-myth-of-american-exceptionalism-shaped-its-foreign-policy-during-the-cold-war. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

MLA7

Haastrup, Adeyemi . "HOW THE MYTH OF AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM SHAPED ITS FOREIGN POLICY DURING THE COLD WAR". Afribary, Afribary, 22 Oct. 2019. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. < https://afribary.com/works/how-the-myth-of-american-exceptionalism-shaped-its-foreign-policy-during-the-cold-war >.

Chicago

Haastrup, Adeyemi . "HOW THE MYTH OF AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM SHAPED ITS FOREIGN POLICY DURING THE COLD WAR" Afribary (2019). Accessed March 28, 2024. https://afribary.com/works/how-the-myth-of-american-exceptionalism-shaped-its-foreign-policy-during-the-cold-war