Summary:

How has the liberal international order shaped American foreign policy? Proponents argue its impact has been profound. Critics charge that it has failed to prevent the U.S. from violating rules and norms. The answer lies in between. While rule violations have been a constant feature of the postwar order, the nature of violations have varied in unappreciated ways. America’s approach toward the liberal order, including whether leaders feel the need to conceal rule violations at all, is a function of two factors: (1) the burden of complying with the liberal order’s core tents and (2) the intensity of great power competition. Together, these factors help explain broad patterns of U.S. behavior over time. 

Bio:

Michael Poznansky is an Associate Professor in the Strategic and Operational Research Department at the U.S. Naval War College and a core faculty member in the Cyber & Innovation Policy Institute. He is the author of In the Shadow of International Law: Secrecy and Regime Change in the Postwar World (Oxford University Press, 2020). Dr. Poznansky’s research has been published in the American Journal of Political Science, International Studies Quarterly, Journal of Politics, Journal of Strategic Studies, and Security Studies among others. He has held fellowships with the Belfer Center at Harvard Kennedy School and the Dickey Center at Dartmouth College. Dr. Poznansky’s commentary has appeared in outlets such as Lawfare, War on the Rocks, and the Washington Post. You can follow him on Twitter @m_poznansky.