“God of War”: Are Republicans more war-loving than Democrats?
The recent history of the United States and the actions of the neocons in the Middle East have led to the perception among the public and even some experts that the Republican Party is more interested in “warmongering” in different parts of the world than the Democratic Party. In recent years, this issue has entered a new phase with Donald Trump’s extreme support for Netanyahu’s expansionist policies and the assassination of martyr Hajj Qassem Soleimani. Despite the formation of such a perception, American history tells us a different reality.
Democrats believe in exporting and establishing American values in different parts of the world, but Republicans believe in “exceptionalism” that has distanced them from transatlantic developments. Of course, Republicans have no regard for warmongering when they can find a direct connection between the current developments in the international system and Washington’s interests. In the rest of this note, we will try to answer whether Democrats are more warmongering or Democrats.
The Wilsonian-Jacksonian Debate
Contrary to the prevailing notion that there is a single view among the political elites active on Key Street, there are two competing views within the US foreign policy apparatus regarding global developments and intervention in important international cases. At first glance, the Wilsonian movement, inspired by Woodrow Wilson’s policy, believes that America, as the standard-bearer of liberal democracy in the West, has a historical mission to spread this ideology worldwide. In this view, America is not simply a “passive” actor in international relations. Still, Washington, as the “hegemon” and “global policeman,” has a mission to impose the liberal democratic order throughout the world. This view is most commonly seen among members of the Democratic Party and some elites of the Republican Party.