Abstract:
1979 –1995 was a remarkable period in the history of U.S. foreign policy. This period witnessed the breakdown of the Cold War dichotomy, the rise of global neoliberalism, and an all-around re-framing of the world political economy. By the end of the twentieth century many theorists were ready to proclaim, "the end of history" brought on by the full ascension of a new hegemonic American-led liberal world order. A growing body of historians, political economists, corporate leaders, and others now argue that the global capitalist order and neoliberal ideology that was set in place from the late 1970s through the 1990s was critical in spawning a world of vast income, health, and environmental inequality. This thesis examines a select group of individuals –Cyrus Vance, John Whitehead, and Richard Holbrooke –who helped to create the institutions and amplify the ideas and systems of global capitalism in this period. Each of these three individuals brought significantly different character attributes, skills,and perspectives to foreign policy leadership, yet all three are united by a shared set of underlying core values. These core beliefs include a recognition of the importance of global political and economic institutions, multilateral foreign policy, and –while embracing American exceptionalism–a recognition that American power, must be tempered and bound by an ethic of global responsibility. This thesis was interrupted –along with the rest of life –by the Coronavirus. Though the project diverged from the original plan for its structure, the resulting, reframed document, carries out a deep analysis of these three figures by examining their response to moments of intense crisis. This serves as a proxy for holistically understanding their broader approach to foreign policy. In turn, additional subjects that are discussed include: the specific qualities of this period's global political economy and foreign policy, and the extent to which this period is specifically connected to the moments which precede and which follow it.
