Role Strain in Foreign Policy: Analyzing the Carter Doctrine

Abstract

This study employs role theory to examine the complexities of foreign policy decision-making, focusing on the Carter Doctrine as a case study in United States (US) hegemony and great power dynamics. By analyzing the historical precedents, geopolitical shifts, and domestic political pressures, the concept of role strain, the conditions that led to it and its implications for US foreign policy are investigated. We uncover the tensions between promoting liberal internationalism and prioritizing domestic concerns within the context of the Carter Doctrine. Our findings underscore the nuanced interplay between hegemonic aspirations and pragmatic political imperatives, shedding light on the challenges of balancing competing role expectations in foreign policy decision-making. In essence, this interplay brings together conflict, overload, ambiguity and lack of influence, rendering the existing inter-status conflict unmanageable.

Keywords

Foreign policy analysis, Role theory, Hegemony, Great Power Politics, Domestic vs. International Interests

Citation

Süleyman O. Altıparmak ve Cameron G. Thies, “Role Strain in Foreign Policy: Analyzing the Carter Doctrine,” Uluslararası İlişkiler, Advanced Online Publication, 24 December 2024, pp. 1-17. DOI: 10.33458/uidergisi.1601801

Affiliations

Suleyman O. ALTIPARMAK Postdoctoral Research Associate, James Madison College, Michigan State University, East Lansing E-Mail: [email protected] Orcid: 0000-0002-4774-1426

Cameron G. THIES Professor, James Madison College, Michigan State University, East Lansing E-Mail: [email protected] Orcid: 0000-0002-9932-1394