Critically Evaluate Selective Use I provide at least three recommended readings

American Exceptionalism and the U.S. Foreign Policy: A Critical Evaluation of Selected Texts Student Name University Course Professor Name Date American Exceptionalism and the U.S. Foreign Policy: A Critical Evaluation of Selected Texts American exceptionalism is a construct that attracted massive attention in the political spheres during the Obama presidency. Previously, the idea was primarily discussed in academic circles as scholars attempted to link American exceptionalism to American identity and foreign policy. Barack Obama was the first African American president of the United States. His announcement that he was running for presidency set off a series of events followed by a series of accusations as opponents and other political stakeholders attempted to prove that Obama was not American. Other presidents have also confronted the idea and answered several questions on American exceptionalism. The concept is not new and has attracted less attention in American politics after the Obama presidency. However, Americans still believe in being exceptional, and this ideology has fundamentally shaped how the country relates to the rest of the world. This paper critically evaluates three American exceptionalism texts, focusing on their arguments, assumptions, and evidence. A summary of the three texts will be provided, after which the arguments in the texts are explored. The critical review evaluates the three texts on their terms and in comparison. The comparison will be done among the texts and other literature on the subject. Summary of the Works The book “American Exceptionalism: An Idea That Made a Nation and Remade the World” by Hilde Restad explores how American exceptionalism shapes the country’s foreign policy. The author, an Associate Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies at Bjorknes College in Oslo, challenges the conventional manner in which American exceptionalism is coupled with U.S. foreign policy. A brief background to Obama’s case sets the book’s tone by highlighting that people do not necessarily understand or agree on what American exceptionalism entails. Restad (2015) makes two main arguments. Firstly, the belief in American exceptionalism has had a profound and lasting effect on how the U.S. relates to the world. Secondly, American exceptionalism can be a practical approach to defining American identity. With these arguments, it can be expected that the book differs from conventional literature. For example, Restad (2015) adopts the position that American exceptionalism is an American identity to illustrate that American exceptionalism has resulted in the U.S. adopting an internationalist foreign policy. The rationale is that foreign policy is not merely based on seeing America as distinct but a superior entity that should liberate the rest of the world to align the world with the American posture. The second text comes from Chapter One of the book "American Exceptionalism and the Legacy of Vietnam: U. S. Foreign Policy Since 1974" by Trevor McCrisken. It discusses American exceptionalism and its relationship to American foreign policy. McCrisken (2003) defines American exceptionalism as a belief that the U.S. is an extraordinary nation with a unique role in human history. The author also expresses that American exceptionalism means that the U.S. is unique and superior to the rest of the world. Regarding foreign policy, McCrisken (2003) argues that the underlying assumptions Americans hold about themselves and the rest of the world dictate the country's foreign policy. The author also acknowledges that American exceptionalism is central to the American identity, which also dictates the terms of U.S. foreign policy. A key point to note from the book is that there are two strands of American exceptionalism: one that labels the U.S. as an exemplary state, "city upon a hill," or a fortress, and another more dominant one that adopts a more missionary approach. The third text is a journal article titled “Exceptionalism in American foreign policy: Is it exeptional?” by K. J. Holsti. The author of this text seeks to demonstrate that exceptionalism is a foreign policy that is not exclusive to the U.S. because it is also evidenced in other historical cases, including post-Revolutionary France and the Soviet Union. The article explores rhetoric and practice revolving around the concept, focusing on how it has been used under such presidencies as Hary S. Truman and Clinton (Holsti, 2010). The moral and ideological foundations of exceptionalism have also been explored. The main takeaway from the article is that in all cases where exceptionalism has been used as the basis for foreign policy, the ideology has stemmed from perceptions of national superiority and idealistic and paternalistic compulsions to extend the ideology to other societies. Arguments The three texts all make similar arguments regarding American exceptionalism and its relationship with American foreign policy. The first chapter of Restad’s (2015) book discusses what is considered “American” and presents the conventional arguments. In this case, the author outlines that exceptionalism makes America distinct and gives Americans a unique missionary role to ensure that the rest of the world subscribes to American values. In the words of President George W. Bush, the founding of the U.S. was that all men and women on earth have rights and dignity, and the U.S. has a role in advancing these values. It means that American foreign policy is shaped by the belief that any regime in the world that subjugates citizens and fails to offer equal rights and dignity to men and women must change. The missionary aspect is essential to foreign policy because being distinct alone fails to make a case for foreign interventions in other countries. The main arguments in McCrisken’s (2003) text are contained in the discussions on the scholarly debate on the topic and the U.S. foreign policy. McCrisken (2003) argues that attempting to show that America is not unique but superior is problematic. The author expresses that instead of proving the uniqueness and superiority of America, it is easier to...