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Episode details

World Service,31 Jan 2026,56 mins

US foreign policy in five doctrines

The Documentary

Available for over a year

Looking back at five big US foreign policy shifts from the Monroe doctrine in the 19th Century to the post-9/11 strategies of the Bush doctrine in the early 2000s. Justin Webb and his guests examine how America’s approach to the world has constantly changed over time, to help answer a really big question - how radical is the way President Donald Trump deals with the world? Is he really an outlier in US history? Or do his actions reflect the changing patterns of American power? Presenter: Justin Webb Producers: Caroline Bayley and Kirsteen Knight Researcher: Helena Warwick-Cross Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound engineer: Tom Brignell Credit: Truman's address courtesy of the Harry S Truman Library and Columbia Broadcasting System. Credit: Nixon’s Silent Majority Speech/Richard Nixon Foundation Credit: Reagan’s State of the Union Address courtesy of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Credit: Bush’s Graduation Speech at West Point courtesy of the George W. Bush Presidential Library

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