America's Grand Strategy and World Politics brings together the essays of Robert Art, one of America's leading scholars of international relations and U.S. foreign policy. The essays represent some of his most important and influential international relations and foreign policy pieces written since the end of the Cold War. Focused on the theme of American grand strategy, the essays cover such topics as the: the use of force, coercive diplomacy, selective engagement, nuclear deterrence, defense policy, the role of NATO, and U.S.-European relations. The essays in this collection possess both theoretical depth and historical breadth and provide a coherent and compelling assessment of the role that American military power plays in international politics The collection includes a new introduction that provides an overview of American grand strategy and an original afterword in which the author reflects on the future of grand strategy in the post 9/11 world. America's Grand Strategy and WorldPolitics will be essential reading for anyone interested in American foreign policy and international politics. Contents: Introduction 1 Pt. I Force in Foreign Policy 5 1 American Foreign Policy and the Fungibility of Force 7 2 The United States and Coercive Diplomacy Patrick M. Cronin Cronin, Patrick M. 40 Pt. II World War II and the Cold War 67 3 The United States, the Balance of Power, and World War II: Was Spykman Right? 69 4 To What Ends Military Power? 111 5 The United States: Nuclear Weapons and Grand Strategy 139 Pt. III Selective Engagement 187 6 A Defensible Defense: America's Grand Strategy after the Cold War 189 7 Geopolitics Updated: The Strategy of Selective Engagement 234 Pt. IV Policies for Europe, China, and the Future 267 8 Why Western Europe Needs the United States and NATO 269 9 Europe Hedges Its Security Bets 310 10 The United States and the Rise of China: Implications for the Long Haul 340 11 Looking Ahead - Near Term and Far 372 Index 393