Policemen of the World

Policemen of the World

Policemen of the World Thesis and Outline
Due Week 7 and worth 70 points
After the Civil War and by the mid-20th century, the United States had become the dominant force in
international relations. Some have argued that the United States� military functions as the world�s
�police.� This assignment covers the manner in which this shift occurred and the consequences the
United States faces as a result of its status as �policemen of the world.� Using the Internet, research
two (2) real-life international incidents from the past five (5) years in which:
The U.S. used military action abroad.
Controversy existed within the American public regarding U.S. involvement.
Controversy existed within the country or countries affected by U.S. involvement.
For the first part of this assignment you will create a thesis statement. A thesis statement is usually a
single sentence somewhere in your first paragraph that presents your main idea to the reader. The body
of the essay organizes the material you gather and present in support of your main idea. Keep in mind
that a thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. (Note: Students please
consult Stanford University�s 

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Policemen of the World Thesis and Outline

Two international events from the past five years that can be traced back to a foreign
policy created after the Civil War include the 2011 U.S. military intervention in the Libyan crisis
and the invasion of the Jordan-Syria border during the 2011 Syrian civil war (Ziadeh, 2011). In
these two incidents, the United States operated in line with the premise that it is entitled with the
duty to restore order and ensuring that democracy prevails.
Since 1865, various developments have taken place in the United States that have caused
the country to rise to a world super power policeman. The country amassed a lot of power during
the early 20 th century which made it to influence other countries (Paul, 2011). The growth of the
economy was one of the top aspects that facilitated the rise of the United States to a world super
power policeman. The economic strength of the country made it to grow in superiority both
regionally and in international politics. The economic power set the pillar and compelled leaders
into pursuing major policies to boost it. The second aspect that led to the rise of the U.S. to a
world super power policeman was the Spanish-American war of 1898. The U.S. explored and
implemented various strategies in defense and driving the Spaniards out of Cuba. The U.S.
demonstrated its superiority in defense and military by crushing the Spanish fleets at the
Santiago Harbor. This triumph over Spain made the U.S. to be confident that no other country
could afford to stop it from achieving anything. The third aspect that facilitated the rise of the
U.S. to rise to a world power was the strategies adopted by the country’s leaders (Paul, 2011).
For instance, President Theodore Roosevelt adopted deterrence and diplomacy strategies while
advocating for war. He always chose preventive strategies rather than aggressive strategies in

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times of war. This made the United States to emerge as a country with the ability to solve
disputes, and hence earned trust across the world.
There are various international incidents since World War II where America has taken on
a policing role. One remarkable incidence was the military intervention in Korea between 1950
and 1953. The U.S. assisted South Korea when it was invaded by North Korea. This intervention
was facilitated by the United Nations Security Council Resolutions. Approximately 300 U.S.
forces were deployed to Korea to bring the conflict to an end. The second incident was the 1967
military intervention in the Congolese revolution where three military aircrafts were sent to help
the Congolese central government in tackling logistics (Allan & Maslowski, 1994). The third
incidence was the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 after a terrorist event in an operation
referred to as Operation-Enduring Freedom. The U.S. took an active role in fighting the Al-
Qaeda and Taliban terrorists and supporters respectively. The U.S. has also take an active
policing role in other countries such as Syria and Libya.
Various forces are attributed for fueling international policy decisions involving the
international incidents such as the ones discussed in this paper. The intervention in Syria was
facilitated by the desire to promote democracy. Another aspect that fueled the United States’
involvement in military intervention was the United Nations Security Council resolutions. The
NATO treaties also played a significant role in propelling the U.S. to intervene in international
issues. For instance, the intervention in Korea was driven by the desire to prevent war between
Southern Korea and Northern Korea.

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References

Allan, R., & Maslowski, P. (1994). For the Common Defense: A Military History of the United
States. Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group.
Paul, A. (2011). Power and Connection: Imperial Histories of the United States in the World.
American Historical Review, 116(5): 1348-1392.
Ziadeh, R. (2011). Power and Policy in Syria: Intelligence Services, Foreign Relations and
Democracy in the Modern Middle East. London: I. B. Tauris.