A Republic in Doctrine: Reviewing the Evolution of U.S. Grand Strategy

From Containment to Americanism is an ambitious monograph that traces the evolution of U.S. national security strategy from the Truman administration through the Trump era. The authors analyze each president’s doctrine in turn, arguing that U.S. strategy has generally exhibited continuity (each new doctrine builds on its predecessors) until a sharp break under President Trump. Drawing on library research and expert interviews, Aghili Dehnavi and Jamal explore both the power-political and ideological dimensions of American strategy. A recent review highlights their methodology: “analytic descriptive studies, interviews with experts, and extensive library research” to probe how U.S. policies “have evolved over decades, shaped by both internal ideologies and external pressures”. In particular, the authors introduce the notion of “Americanism” as an ideological framework – one rooted in founding documents like the Declaration of Independence and Constitution – that has underpinned U.S. expansion abroad. They argue that Americanism justifies promoting democracy and freedom globally, even while neglecting domestic challenges. By contrast, earlier chapters show how Cold War doctrines were framed in terms of ideology (“imperialism” vs. “communism”) as well as power politics. Overall, the book offers a comprehensive narrative of U.S. security policies, framed through the lens of grand strategy, blending historical description with theoretical reflection.