cover image Arsenal of Democracy: The Politics of National Security—From World War II to the War on Terrorism

Arsenal of Democracy: The Politics of National Security—From World War II to the War on Terrorism

Julian E. Zelizer, Zelizer Julian, . . Basic, $35 (592pp) ISBN 978-0-465-01507-8

Despite its title, this insightful examination of the impact domestic politics has had on American foreign policy actually begins with the Spanish-American war. Zelizer (Taxing America ) traces changing attitudes toward foreign engagement through WWI, including Wilson’s failed advocacy for the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations, and arrives at the cold war era, his principle focus. His key themes are the competition between the Republican and Democratic parties for electoral advantage on issues related to international affairs and the expansion of executive authority that began with the Korean War in the Truman administration and continued intermittently through the George W. Bush era. The author emphasizes foreign policy throughout, devoting mere paragraphs to major domestic events like the Kennedy assassination and the contested presidential election of 2000. Zelizer’s excellent analysis concludes with charting the rise and fall of conservative internationalism from Reagan to the election of Barack Obama, advancing a consistently thoughtful, complex and balanced argument about the decisive effect domestic politics has had on the evolution of the national security state. (Jan.)