In this episode of the Bradley Lecture Series Podcast, Henry Nau discusses “Conservative internationalism: Armed diplomacy under Jefferson, Polk, Truman, and Reagan.”

Two schools of thought typically emerge when Americans debate their place in the world: a realist, nationalist school and a liberal internationalist school. In simple terms, they ask, “Are we to be ‘Fortress America,’ or are we to be the world’s policeman? Nau posits a third school of thought which he traces through four American presidencies, showing that conservative internationalism combines key objectives with the values and means of the other two schools.

This lecture was originally given on November 4, 2013. Full details can be found on the original event page here.

To view a full list of the Bradley Lectures, see the Bradley Lectures page on the AEI website.