Warren F. Kuehl and
Gary B. Ostrower
Internationalism in American foreign policy has had different meanings for nearly every generation of citizens and diplomats. It has been associated with all forms of external contact with the world, the relationships becoming more extensive and political with the passage of time. As a foreign policy, it has usually been viewed as the antithesis of isolationism, and in that sense it has involved political commitments or "entanglements" through multinational treaties as well as membership in international organizations. In a broader context, it has also encompassed official and unofficial nonpolitical activities—economic, social, cultural, and scientific—usually evidenced through affiliation with specialized international societies or agencies. Some internationalists have thought in terms of a universal community, a broad brotherhood of people with common concerns, needs, and aspirations that exists as a reality beyond the confines of nation-states. In recent times, internationalism has taken on a new meaning under a doctrine of responsibility, with the United States assuming the burden of "policeman of the world," both unilaterally and multilaterally.
See also ARBITRATION, MEDIATION, AND CONCILIATION; COLLECTIVE SECURITY; CULTURAL RELATIONS AND POLICIES; EMBARGOES AND SANCTIONS; GLOBALIZATION; IMPERIALISM; INTERNATIONAL LAW; INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION; ISOLATIONISM; WILSONIANISM.