The paper analyzes the role of democracy promotion in the evolution of US foreign policy after the Cold War. Since the years of East-West rivalry the ideology of liberal internationalism and Americanism remains an important element of the U.S. foreign agenda. In the new era, the promotion of the Western socio-political system, based on liberal democracy, human rights and market economy, was presented as a way to sustain global stability and to prevent the dissolution of international community. After the collapse of bipolar system the concept of US hegemony, justified in terms of democratic globalism, caused serious rows and fears of unleashed American interventionism. Increasing tensions between the aims of US hegemonic foreign policy, followed by military interventions, and its international and regional perception, is discussed in reference to the concept of a global frontier-land introduced by sociologist Zygmunt Bauman and F.J. Turner's concept of the American frontier. Another perspective links the matter of the “frontiers” of American influence with a Global Balkans, described by Zbigniew Brzezinski as a divided and unstable area of the Middle East and Central Asia. The vision of liberal Pax Americana and an enlarged zone of democratic peace that was supposed to solve the problem of “failed states” and “rogue regimes,” appeared to reach beyond US capabilities, as the failed Bush Jr.'s “democratic crusade” led to further destabilization in the Broader Middle East.

Introduction

The following paper aims to investigate the role of democracy promotion as a manifestation of liberal internationalism and Americanism in the evolution of US foreign policy after the Cold War.