The Informal Ideology And American Diplomacy

After the Cold War, the capitalistic ideology didn't disappear instead existed in a more concealed form with more vigorous tendency worldwide. Aiming at making a comprehensive understanding of ideology in western developed capitalist countries, the author, on the basis of Marxist Ideology, analyzes U. S. ideology, which is classified as the formal one and the informal one with their concepts and correlation presented, and generalizes three characteristics of the informal ideology owing to the connotation and extension of ideology concept. In order to further clarify the importance of informal ideology, the author chooses three typical U. S. theories on it, that is, Doomed Destiny and Frontier Theory (the 19th century), Modernization Theory (1960s), and Globalization Theory (since 1970s), expounds the close relation with the formal one which refers to Individualism, Free Market Economy, and Democratic System, thereby points out the informal ideology's extensive and profound impact. In conclusion, the author analyzes in detail all kinds of informal ideology's function and effects performing on U. S. foreign policy, especially Interventionism. In U. S. foreign policy, the formal ideology is the practical object, while the informal one acting as its effective resort. In addition, the paper also deals with several new features concerning the informal ideology's long-term influence on U. S. foreign policy.