---

On June 10, in an effort by GMF to help Europeans understand "red state" America, George Washington University Professor Henry R. Nau told a Berlin audience about the roots of American conservatism.

In a luncheon discussion sponsored by GMF’s Berlin office and the German Council on Foreign Relations, Professor Nau stressed that among the schools of political thought in the United States, realists, also referred to as Hamiltonians, are better understood in Europe than the Jacksonian or Jeffersonian traditions. Jacksonians are less conflicted about the use of force, even though their general interests are to stay at home and defend their goals without being involved. This also reflects the current transformation and restructuring of American military around the world. Professor Nau stressed that George W. Bush shared all those views before 9/11, but after the attacks, he recognized the need to use force, in line with Jacksonian tradition.

In a question-and-answer session, the conversation turned away from the theoretical framework of international relations to a hands-on policy debate vis-a-vis current issues on the transatlantic agenda. Questions came on a number of issues, including the reason for going to war in Iraq with a possible knowlege about the lack of weapons of mass destruction, the possible outcome of Supreme Court justice nominations under the second Bush Administration, reform in the Middle East, the importance of foreign policy to American conservatives, and the transatlantic impact of the EU constitutional treaty votes and possible early elections in Germany.