American Grand Strategy since 1940: Political Science and History

Abstract

Christopher Layne is a political scientist and associate professor of government and public service at Texas A&M University. He has written an ambitious book about American strategy from 1940 until the present. He wants to address basic questions in political science and he wants to do this through an extensive use of history and historical literature. His effort should definitely be of interest to readers of Diplomatic History. Like virtually all political scientists, Layne devotes considerable space to the leading political science theories in international relations. Layne is a realist and his particular concern is to place his own findings within the realist tradition. Thus, realism consists of defensive realism (Hans Morgenthau and Kenneth Waltz), first-wave offensive realism (Fareed Zakaria and Robert Gilpin), second-wave offensive realism/offshore balancing (John Mearsheimer), and extraregional hegemony theory (Layne himself). Despite charts and tables, this might be tough going for historians, but to the extent we are not already familiar with these theories, it is certainly useful to get the introduction here.