To understand American policy better, I suggest you consult a recent, very well written and argued paper by Stephen Peter Rosen of Harvard on why we Americans are less the peace-loving people we often claim to be. He looks at the regional differences in American culture that support a willingness to be violent in our internal and external relations.  The paper’s citation is: Stephen Peter Rosen, “Blood Brothers: The Dual Origins of American Bellicosity,” AMERICAN INTEREST,  July/August 2009, vol IV , no. 6, pp 20-28.

Further Reading on E-International Relations

• A Middle Path? US Public Opinion and Grand Strategy
• The American Public’s Doubts over Democratization in China
• Opinion – China’s Global Security Initiative’s Revisionism
• Surveying Opinion on Withdrawing US Troops from Afghanistan and South Korea
• Opinion – Australia’s Election and ASEAN’s Expectations
• Opinion – Academics Opening Their Hearts for Climate Actions