As the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the University of Chicago Graham School launched its America at 250 series with a timely conversation on the history of U.S. foreign policy and what it may reveal about the nation’s future role in the world.
The event titled “John J. Mearsheimer on 250 Years of U.S. Foreign Policy” brought together Graham instructor Jennifer A. Lind and renowned political scientist John J. Mearsheimer for a wide-ranging discussion spanning 250 years of American strategy, from the founding era to today’s rising tensions between great powers.
The conversation explored how the ideals of the Declaration of Independence intersect with the realities of power politics, offering the audience a deeper understanding of how the United States has defined and navigated its role in the world. Below are a few key takeaways from the discussion.
1. The American founding reflects both liberal ideals and nationalism
Jennifer opened the conversation by highlighting the Declaration of Independence as a document rooted in universal principles, most notably the idea that all people are created equal and endowed with inalienable rights.
John agreed, while emphasizing another defining theme in the founding: nationalism.
“The Declaration is about both the universal rights of individuals and the creation of the American nation-state,” he noted.
From the beginning, American political thought has contained both liberalism, the belief in universal rights, and nationalism, the idea that a people have the right to govern themselves. While those principles do not always align, together they have profoundly influenced the trajectory of American foreign policy.
2. Expansion helped the United States become a regional hegemon
The United States’ rise to power was closely tied to territorial expansion. Even before independence, colonists pushed westward, often clashing with British authorities and Native nations. After independence, that expansion accelerated under the belief in Manifest Destiny. Jennifer emphasized the important role of the notion, myth or as Reinhold Niebuhr wrote, the “sin” of American Exceptionalism in fueling the powerful belief in Manifest Destiny – that the continent was a Divine gift to European settlers.
But beyond ideology, John emphasized that expansion had a clear strategic logic. As the United States grew in territory, population, and industrial capacity, it eventually became a dominant power in its region.
“There’s only one regional hegemon in modern history. And that’s the United States of America,” he observed.
Protected by two oceans and bordered by less powerful neighbors, the United States achieved a level of regional security that few nations have historically experienced.
3. War and consolidation were key turning points in American power
Another pivotal moment came with the Civil War. Had the Confederacy succeeded, North America might have been divided between competing states. Instead, the Union victory ensured that a single nation would dominate the continent, setting the stage for the United States’ rise as a global power in the twentieth century.
That rise became even more apparent during the two world wars. The United States initially remained on the sidelines in both conflicts, entering only when the balance of power in Europe appeared to be under serious threat.
“It’s not that we were glad the Soviets were paying that blood price. We just didn’t want to pay that blood price,” John explained.
From a realist perspective, great powers often intervene only when necessary to preserve the balance of power.
4. Great power competition remains a defining feature of international politics
During the Cold War, the rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union was often framed as a battle of ideology. But John emphasized that strategic competition among great powers is a recurring feature of international politics.
In the decades after the Cold War, many believed liberal democracy had permanently triumphed. Yet John argued that history suggests otherwise.
“The principal source of conflict in this century will be the competition between the United States and China.”
China’s rise, combined with Russia’s renewed assertiveness and deep global economic interdependence, has created a far more complex geopolitical landscape than the bipolar world of the Cold War.
At a key moment in the conversation, Jennifer noted that John is not only a historian of American Foreign policy but an international relations theorist, and asked him to explain what international relations theories are and how they inform policy. John shared that people rely on frameworks to make sense of a complex world. In international relations, two major schools of thought, realism and liberalism, have long shaped the field. As an example, he pointed to democratic peace theory, a cornerstone of the liberal tradition, which holds that democracies do not fight other democracies. Realists, by contrast, emphasize power and security above all else. For John, these theories are not merely academic: they can help leaders interpret events and assess what may happen next.
5. Today’s challenges reflect enduring questions
The conversation concluded with an engaged audience discussion that connected these historical themes to present-day challenges. Questions explored the role of allies in balancing China, shifting dynamics in the Middle East, and how much support the United States and its partners should provide to Ukraine. Attendees also discussed NATO enlargement, the origins of the Ukraine crisis, and the influence of middle powers on U.S. economic and institutional leverage.
Taken together, these exchanges highlighted a central theme of the evening: understanding both the theoretical and historical context of power, strategy, and international competition remains essential to making sense of the world today.
Explore the Full Discussion
This event is part of the Graham School’s America at 250 series, which explores key themes in American history and civic life through public conversations with Graham School.
Watch the full event recording to hear the complete discussion and audience questions.
