This four-volume collection brings together the academic writings of scholars who have examined America's foreign policy through the lens of diverse and often contradictory political traditions that stretch back to the founding of the United States, including liberalism, 'messianism' and 'isolationism'. The selected papers address the historical development of these traditions, their application for understanding contemporary US foreign policy, the emergence of new traditions such as neoconservatism, and the perpetual existence of 'anti-Americanism'.

The SAGE Library of International Relations brings together the most influential and field-defining articles, both classical and contemporary, in a number of key areas of research and inquiry in International Relations.

Each multi-volume set represents a collection of the essential published works collated from the foremost publications in the field by an editor or editorial team of renowned international stature.

They also include a full introduction, presenting a rationale for the selection and mapping out the discipline's past, present and likely future.

This series is designed to be a 'gold standard' for university libraries throughout the world with an interest in International Relations.