Democracy promotion and United States foreign policy: The role of domestic norms

Although the United States (U.S.) has generally emphasized democracy in its international relations, the evidence suggests that in the post World War II era U.S. policy increasingly displayed a tendency to promote actively the spread of democracy globally. I contend that the primary source of policy change originates from changing domestic norms regarding political and civil rights. As the commitment to political and civil rights increased in the domestic arena, the commitment to political and civil rights internationally increased. Before the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and other accomplishments of the Civil Rights Movement, U.S. foreign policy decision makers cared little for regime type in their policy orientations. After the social upheavals of 1960s, I have found a greater sensitivity in U.S. policy toward democracy promotion. The early 1970s is a transition period in the prevailing norms regarding civil and political rights in the United States and U.S. foreign policy toward the promotion of human rights and democracy. The changes in norms led to a change in identity. In the early 1970s, we find the basic U.S. identity shifting from a Euro-American identity to a multicultural identity.; Theoretically my analysis originates from a constructivist approach to the study of world politics. The constructivist approach emphasizes the impact of ideas, rather than material considerations. This research specifically analyzes the changing normative structure in the United States and the concurrent change in identity. This study links these transformations to changes in foreign policy. The actions of the U.S. Congress regarding human rights and democracy promotion are specifically analyzed. Congress represents the link between domestic norms and foreign policy orientations.; The findings suggest that we must consider domestic level factors in our explanations of international behavior and foreign policy. Particularly for the United States, a human rights agenda and a policy of democracy promotion are associated with domestic societal changes regarding political and civil rights and a general growth in tolerance.