Why Wilson Matters – The Origin of American Liberal Internationalism and Its Crisis Today: Princeton Studies in International History and Politics

"Smith is one of the most prolific scholars of the Wilsonian legacy in America's foreign policy. Here, he makes a powerful appeal to uphold the standards Wilson established and protect them against their recent abuse by conservative neo-Wilsonians. For everyone concerned about America's international position today, this book is a must-read."--Klaus Schwabe, RWTH Aachen University

"Wilsonianism, which arose from Woodrow Wilson's efforts to promote a democratic rules-based international order in the ruins of World War I, has been appropriated in the modern era by so-called 'neo-Wilsonians' advocating wars of regime change and imposed nation-building abroad. In this compelling book, Smith cogently argues for reviving this foundational foreign-policy concept's original conception as a guide to avoid overreach and thereby better align America's interests and values in a turbulent world."--Robert S. Litwak, Wilson Center

"In Why Wilson Matters, Tony Smith rescues Woodrow Wilson from the pundits and policymakers who have distorted and abused his ideas. He shows that Wilson's views on foreign policy were subtle, reality-based, and far from utopian, and Wilson reemerges as a surer guide to the dilemmas of contemporary world politics than the 'neo-Wilsonians' who have led the United States astray in recent years. Meticulously researched and beautifully written, this book shows how U.S. foreign policy could be principled and pragmatic, and above all more effective."--Stephen M. Walt, Harvard Kennedy School

"Tony Smith is a committed liberal internationalist who believes American foreign policy has gone off the rails since 2001, mainly because the liberals in charge misunderstood the teachings of their founding father, Woodrow Wilson. They failed to appreciate the prudence and realism behind Wilson's prescriptions, and instead demonstrated hubris and a love of big stick diplomacy, which led them to make disastrous decisions. Why Wilson Matters is an impressive book and should be widely read."--John J. Mearsheimer, University of Chicago

"In this powerful, often impassioned analysis of the erratic applications of Wilsonian internationalism over the course of a century, Tony Smith skillfully demonstrates why a genuine understanding of Wilson's ideas for reducing the risk of war is crucial for the future well-being of American security and, indeed, for a world made safe for democracy."--Thomas J. Knock, author of To End All Wars: Woodrow Wilson and the Quest for a New World Order

"This is a major, original contribution. Woodrow Wilson remains one of our most interesting, significant, and controversial presidents. No one has looked as carefully at him and then followed the threads of his legacies in the nine decades since his death as Smith does in this important and extremely timely book."--John Milton Cooper, Jr., author of Woodrow Wilson: A Biography

"Smith's case is plausible and important. Why Wilson Matters provides the best narrative for liberals on what went wrong with Wilsonianism."--John M. Owen IV, author of Confronting Political Islam: Six Lessons from the West's Past