Volume XII- Number 2
Jean M. Zawitoski
Abstract: American national character can best be described as those patterns of thought and mood which shape our attitudes and opinions toward the external world and which account for our reactions and responses to international problems. This article draws on Alexis de Tocqueville to argue the American attitude is founded on the advantages of a democratic form of government. The article further argues that Americans emphasis on private values is responsible for the high levels of competitiveness within American foreign policy, but that egocentricity is also the cause of the constant fluctuation between isolationism and interventionism. By examining American attitudes at the time of major conflicts such as World Wars I and II, the author demonstrates a correlation between national ego and foreign policy decisions. The article explains that the attitude of interventionism in foreign affairs has been present since the Marshall Plan of 1947. By examining domestic policy examples, this article ultimately looks to prove that an aroused citizenry heavily influences all policy decisions in a democratic government.
Key Words: United States, National Character, Foreign Policy, Egocentric, WWI, WWII
