Enemies of the American Way

David Bell Mislan is Assistant Professor in the U.S. Foreign Policy Program at American University's School of International Service. His teaching and research interests are foreign policy analysis, international security, and qualitative methods. In addition to his teaching and research, Dr. Mislan is active with civic engagement initiatives in Eastern Europe and the United States.

• Introduction1. Rule-Based Identity and Threat Identification2. Alternate Approaches to Explaining Threat Identification3. Grover Cleveland and Enemies of the American Way4. The Person and Presidency of Benjamin Harrison5. William Mckinley and Enemies of the American Way6. Identity and Threat in the Post-Cold War EraBibliographyIndex

"Friend or enemy?  Benign or dangerous?  A toothy grin or bared fangs?  How we see the world around us determines how we respond to it.  But the process of interpreting our environment is a complex one, as David Mislan demonstrates.  In the late nineteenth century, America reversed its historic course and moved aggressively onto the world stage.  Why?  Mislan's careful examination of three presidents - Cleveland, Harrison, and McKinley - offers important insight into the factors that shape how leaders come to distinguish "threats" from the universe of other realities they face.  Today, how will America interpret the rapidly changing world it faces, separate "threats" from the chaff of daily events, and chart a forward course?  Mislan's insights help us understand where we may be heading, and why." - Edward Rhodes, Dean, School of Public Policy, George Mason University