American Nation-Building ─ Case Studies from Reconstruction to Afghanistan

Nation-building enterprises by the United States and the broader international community have run the gamut of success and failure. Some have enjoyed overwhelming support and others debilitating controversy. Some are motivated by national security interests; others by humanitarian concerns. They have seemingly exploded since the end of the Cold War but in fact have long been used as a foreign policy tool. What they all have in common is a substantial investment of troops, treasure and time. There is no formula for success—each operation is unique, with lessons to be learned and trends to be noted. Examining the history of America’s experience in nation-building, this book describes the mechanisms behind what often appears to be a haphazard enterprise.

Kevin Dougherty, a retired Army lieutenant colonel, is the Assistant Commandant for Leadership Programs and an adjunct professor at The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina. Robert J. Pauly, Jr., is associate professor of International Development at The University of Southern Mississippi. His research interests focus broadly on the fields of U.S. foreign policy, national security and homeland security, with emphases on American policy toward the states of Europe and the Greater Middle East and the evolving relationships between states and non-state actors in the Muslim and Western worlds.