Unit 4.

American political doctrines

Reading Comprehension
President James Monroes 1823 annual message to Congress contained the Monroe
Doctrine, which warned European powers not to interfere in the affairs of the estern
!emisphere"
#nderstanda$l%, the #nited &tates has alwa%s ta'en a particular interest in its closest
neigh$ors ( the nations of the estern !emisphere" E)uall% understanda$l%, e*pressions
of this concern ha+e not alwa%s $een fa+ora$l% regarded $% other ,merican nations"
-he Monroe Doctrine is the $est 'nown #"&" polic% toward the estern !emisphere"
.uried in a routine annual message deli+ered to Congress $% President James Monroe in
Decem$er 1823, the doctrine warns European nations that the #nited &tates would not
tolerate further coloni/ation or puppet monarchs" -he doctrine was concei+ed to meet
ma0or concerns of the moment, $ut it soon $ecame a watchword of #"&" polic% in the
estern !emisphere"
-he Monroe Doctrine was in+o'ed in 1812 when the #"&" go+ernment e*erted diplomatic
and militar% pressure in support of the Me*ican President .enito Ju3re/" -his support
ena$led Ju3re/ to lead a successful re+olt against the Emperor Ma*imilian, who had $een
placed on the throne $% the 4rench go+ernment"
,lmost 56 %ears later, in 1765, European creditors of a num$er of 8atin ,merican
countries threatened armed inter+ention to collect de$ts" President -heodore 9oose+elt
promptl% proclaimed the right of the #nited &tates to e*ercise an :international police
power; to cur$ such :chronic wrongdoing"; ,s a result, #" &" Marines were sent into
&anto Domingo in 1765, <icaragua in 1711, and !aiti in 1712, ostensi$l% to 'eep the
Europeans out" =ther 8atin ,merican nations +iewed these inter+entions with misgi+ing,
and relations $etween the :great Colossus of the <orth; and its southern neigh$ors
remained strained for man% %ears"
>n 1712, the Monroe Doctrine was in+o'ed s%m$olicall% when the &o+iet #nion $egan to
$uild missile?launching sites in Cu$a" ith the support of the =rgani/ation of ,merican
&tates, President John 4" @enned% threw a na+al and air )uarantine around the island"
,fter se+eral tense da%s, the &o+iet #nion agreed to withdraw the missiles and dismantle
the sites" &u$se)uentl%, the #nited &tates dismantled se+eral of its o$solete air and
missile $ases in -ur'e%"
Language Practice
Match the names of the american presidents to their doctrines: 1. Truman Doctrine;
2. Bush Doctrine; 3.Monroe Doctrine; 4. Nixon Doctrine; 5. Eisenhower Doctrine
Terms Definitions
aA
?1823
?.etween Europe and #&,
?#&, couldnBt afford another war with Europe since Europe was more sta$le
?#&, would sta% out of eastern hemisphere, Europe would sta% out of western
hemisphere
$A?175C
?Eastern Europe, $ut could $e applied worldwide
?assist Dreece and -ur'e%
?$elie+ed it was foreign polic% of the #&, to help an% countr% threatened $%
communism
?aid Dreece and -ur'e%, @orea, Eietnam, 8atin ,merica, Cu$a
cA ?172C
?Middle East
?stop the spread of communism, limit so+iet influence
?defend Middle Eastern countries against communism
?helped 8e$anon and Jordan
Fhowe+er, this polic% led to increased ,ra$ nationalism and anti?,mericanism
dA?1717
?countries fighting communism
?#&, was too in+ol+ed in Eietnam, needed more support from the Eietnamese
arm%
?#&, would suppl% troops to countries fighting communism, $ut the countr% must
suppl% sufficient forces as well
?Eietnami/ation
eA?2662
?Middle East
?response to &eptem$er 11 terrorist attac's
?#&, should create a sta$le democrac% in the ,ra$ world whose laws are secular
with a strong econom%" >f that happens, )ualit% of life will impro+e and
neigh$oring countries will want to adopt the same 'ind of go+ernment and societ%
?war in >ra)
Summar of the Monroe doctrine
- an e*pression of the post?1812 nationalism energi/ing the #"&" Pro+ed to $e the
most famous of the long?li+ed offspring of that nationalism" Might ha+e $een
called the &elf?Defense Doctrine"
- >ncorporated into President MonroeBs annual message to Congress in 1823" >ts two
$asic features wereGH1A <on?Coloni/ation H2A <on?>nter+ention" Coloni/ationBs era
had ended and England and other foreign powers needed to 'eep their monarchial
s%stems out of the #"&" =ld orld powers could not gain an%more settlements"
-he #"&" would not inter+ene in the Dree's war for independence, and the #"&"
does not need help from other countries"
- &ignificanceG Da+e +ent to patriotism, $ut deepened the illusion of isolationism"
Man% ,mericans falsel% concluded that the 9epu$lic was isolated from the
European dangers $ecause it wanted to $e" Monroe, it seemed, had warned the
=ld Powers to sta% awa%"
The Reason !or the Monroe Doctrine
, crisis de+eloped in 1823 when 4rance in+aded &pain to prop up @ing 4erdinand E>>,
who had $een forced to accept a li$eral constitution" >t was widel% $elie+ed that 4rance
was also intending to assist &pain in reta'ing its colonies in &outh ,merica"
-he .ritish go+ernment was alarmed at the idea of 4rance and &pain 0oining forces" ,nd
the .ritish foreign office as'ed the ,merican am$assador what his go+ernment intended
to do to $loc' an% ,merican o+ertures $% 4rance and &pain"
Listen to the "ideo and match the missing #ords: 1. meddling in 2. tumultuous
!eriod; 3. career; 4. law; 5. agreement; ". #i$eria; %. negotiate.
httpGII+ideo"a$out"comIamericanhistor%IProfile?of?James?Monroe"htm
-he 2th president of the #nited &tates, he had a remar'a$le aA JJJ" during a
remar'a$le time in ,merican histor%" ,s president he go+erned o+er a period of time
called the :Era of Dood 4eelings; as he ignored part% lines in his appointments and saw a
momentar% $rea' from caustic part% infighting" ,mong man% things, he is remem$ered
for the Monroe Doctrine, a polic% that not onl% demanded that European powers cease $A
JJJJ"" J and coloni/ing <orth and &outh ,merica, $ut stated that the #nited &tates
would also not meddle with European countries"
.orn into a well to do famil% in 1C28 in Eirginia, he was attending illiam and Mar%
college when he and fellow students )uit to 0oin the Continental ,rm% in 1CC2" !e was
18 when he crossed the Delaware with Deneral ashington" 4ighting in +arious $attles
he retired at the ran' of lieutenant colonel to return to school" !e studied cA JJ under
-homas Jefferson from 1C86 to 1C83">n 1C82 he was elected to the Eirginia Deneral
,ssem$l% and then represented Eirginia in the Continental Congress and later $ecame a
#& &enator in 1C76 when the #& &enate was first esta$lished" !is meteoric career also
included ser+ing as the ,m$assador to 4rance, &pain, and .ritain" Much of this he did
$efore his mid 36s"
>n 1C77 he was elected Do+ernor of Eirginia" !e helped dA JJJJ"" the 8ouisiana
Purchase in 1863 and continued his career in go+ernment ser+ice" During the war of 1812
with the .ritish, he ser+ed $oth as &ecretar% of ar and &ecretar% of &tate" !e ran for
and successfull% won the #& Presidenc% in 1811, starting his ser+ice March 5th, 181C"
&er+ing two terms, he o+ersaw a eA JJJJ JJJJ in the #&" -he Panic of 1817
caused a great depression on the countr%, the relati+el% new nation was e*periencing
simultaneous separatist and growing pangs" 8i'e man% during his time he struggled with
sla+er%, and was torn $% +arious political and ethical realities that he saw" !e was part of
a mo+ement that tried to negotiate these tumultuous times and which included the
creation of fA JJJ" on the ,frican continent with its capital Monro+ia, named after
Monroe"
=+erall Monroe appears to ha+e $een a successful negotiator, not so much in his orator%
s'ills $ut in his reasoning and a$ilit% to see' a compromise and gA JJJ"" " D%ing in
1831 in <ew Kor' Cit%, despite all his wor', he was ne+er financiall% secure during his
life, howe+er he left $ehind a rich legac%"
Translate into $nglish:
aA &ecolul LL este uneori numit ;secolul american; din cau/a influen ei e*ercitate de
cMtre aceastM arM asupra Nntregii lumi, Nn special datoritM terenului pierdut de cMtre
Europa Nn cele douM rM/$oaie mondiale" &tatele #nite a luptat Nn Primul i al doilea rM/$oi
mondial de partea ,lia ilor" On perioada inter$elicM, cel mai important e+eniment a fost
Marea depresiune H1727 ? 1737A, al cMrei efect a fost intensificat de Dust $owl, o secetM
gra+M" Ca i restul lumii de/+oltate, &#, a ie it din aceastM cri/M economicM Nn urma
mo$ili/Mrii pentru cel de?al Doilea 9M/$oi Mondial"
9M/$oiul a adus pagu$e enorme ma0oritM ii participan ilor la el, NnsM &#, a suferit relati+
pu in din punct de +edere economic" On 1726, mai mult decPt 0umMtate din P>.?ul glo$al
apar inea &#,"
On rM/$oiul rece, &#, a fost un participant cheie Nn 9M/$oiul din Coreea i 9M/$oiul
Eietname/, i, pe lPngM #9&&, a fost consideratM una din cele douM su!er!uteri. ,ceastM
perioadM a coincis cu o mare e*pansiune economicM" =datM cu Nncetarea e*isten ei
#niunii &o+ietice ca entitate 0uridicM, &#, a de+enit un centru mondial economic i
militar cu o pondere neegalatM" On deceniul 1776?2666, &tatele #nite au luat parte la mai
multe ac iuni de men inere a pMcii, a a cum ar fi cele din @oso+o, !aiti, &omalia,
8i$eria, i DolfulPersic" DupM atacurile teroriste din 11 septem$rie 2661, asupra
comple*ului orld trade center i a Pentagon?ului de cMtre organi/a ia teroristM, ,l?
Qaida, condusM de =sama $in 8aden, &tatele #nite ale ,mericii, au declarat rM/$oi contra
terorismului, alMturi de alte state ale lumii, care a inclus ac iuni militare Nn ,fganistan i
>ra)"
$A Partidul Repu%lican, este, alMturi de Partidul Democrat, unul dintre cele douM partide
politice importante din &#," 4ondat de acti+i ti ai mi cMrii anti?scla+ie Nn 1825,
&artidul re!u$lican este adesea numit &rand 'ld Part ori &'P, Nn ciuda faptului cM a
apMrut pe scena politicM a &tatelor #nite mai tPr/iu decPt Partidul Democrat" Platforma
politicM a partidului este Nn general consideratM a fi de centru dreapta Nn spectrul politic
american" Partidul 9epu$lican este partidul american a+Pnd cel de?al doilea numMr de
+otan i Nnregistra i din &tatele #nite, circa 22 de milioane +otan i acti+i, ceea ce
repre/intM apro*imati+ o treime din electorat" Diferite sonda0e de opinie, efectuate de?a
lungul ultimilor doi ani, au rele+at cM Nntre 26R pPnM la 35R din americani se identificM
ca fiind repu$licani"
>storia &tatelor #nite a Nnregistrat optspre/ece pre edin i repu$licani, i cincispre/ece
democra i, patru hig i patru democra i?repu$licani, respecti+ Deorge ashington,
neafiliat +reunei mi cMri politice" ,/i Scompeti iaS dintre partidele care pot a+ea cei mai
mul i pre edin i este relati+ NnchisM" ,ctualmente, repu$licani au o minoritate Nn am$ele
camere ale Congresului &#,, &enatul i Camera 9epre/entan ilor, respecti+ de in o
minoritate de gu+erne statale, controlPnd o minoritate de legislaturi statale"