As eras have evolved with the different thinkers, histories, and ideas, leaders also have given their visions of liberal internationalism in global political system in the twentieth century. As the champion and sponsor of this realm, the United States has shown the evolution of liberal internationalism from three American leaders’ visions that have been discussed by many scholars in International Relations world as stated on the chapter of the Three Faces of Liberal Internationalism by G. John Ikenberry. The author mentions Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, and Harry Truman as the remarkable thinkers of the concept of open markets, shared sovereignty, collective problem solving, role of international institutions, international laws with their different views that led from the historical political events around the world.

Woodrow Wilson or Liberal Internationalism Order 1.0

This version was believed to be brought to the post-World War I era that emphasized universal membership that required a global collective security body in order to pursue territorial peace. This multilateral system was believed to be the most effective way of realizing orderly international community that based on liberal ideas and principles, as shown in the formation of League of Nations and its rules that were built to protect territorial borders and enforce the peace. However, Wilson’s vision of this concept created some tensions of that he believed stable and peaceful international orders needed to be built around liberal democratic states; this was also aimed to create an approach to other states that have different type of regimes to come together and embrace the liberal rules and norms. Not only that, he also agreed that every state, regardless of the size of power, has the right to get its full sovereignty, territorial integrity, and equality. Although when it comes to the rule of law, he had the view of nineteenth-century view of international law that did not see the rule of law as legally binding commitments. Moreover he also did not see the form of international cooperation to promote human rights, social protections, or economic development. Wilson was more concerned on changing the old global system that based on balance of power into the unified liberal international order based on nation-states, collective security system, and the rule of law, though it ended in a crisis of failure.

Franklin Roosevelt or Liberal Internationalism Order 2.0

Roosevelt came up with the vision of postwar realism-based liberal internationalism by building a more formal role of the Great Powers, as in this case the U.S. took the lead in order to maintain the peace. The role of Great Powers was important to maintain global order; hence the Atlantic Charter was created to provide the vision of more hierarchical and compromising system. However, it was viewed as a Western-centered, multilayered, and deeply institutionalized system that turned into liberal hegemonic order by the U.S. This overflowing hegemonic power can be seen through the U.S. domestic market, the value of dollar, the cold war alliances, and the shifting of security cooperation from the United Nations Security Council to NATO and other U.S.-led alliances. Unlike Wilson, Roosevelt’s vision on sovereignty of states was reduced as to gain new governmental capacities, and the U.S. had its role stronger to order, maintain peace and security, and to become an economic power which greatly benefited the U.S. Furthermore, the U.S. also used the rules-based order that allowed the states to bargain, communicate, and adjust in order to accommodate the realities of hierarchy. Not only that, states were expected to be more internationally active and committed, also bond to the set of rules. During the cold war era, this liberal international order was dominating the world politics, which brought the U.S. to the bigger power in maintaining economy, military, and political institutions in the international community. However, this version of liberal internationalism has viewed as a crisis of success as the U.S. was a global security provider, the unipolarity system that raised the U.S. power, the unfolding revolution of human rights, threats in the international system from the states with weakness and inability to enforce internal law and order, and the growth of the world economy that has raised questions about participation and decision making in the global governance.

Harry Truman or Liberal Internationalism Order 3.0

Truman’s vision on liberal internationalism was to spread the liberal rules and norms in the wider scope by expanding membership in core governing institutions to rising non-Western states. Moreover, the liberal international order needs to be ruled by legitimate international authority to intervene in weak and troubled states for reasons of human rights and security. Regarding democracy and international rule of law, he envisioned rule-based system and network-based cooperation with less command and control of the U.S, while the trade laws should be based on notions of equality and reciprocity. Moreover, the hierarchy concept would be seen in the expanded grouping of leading states occupying positions in the United Nations Security Council and some less formal international security bodies.

Conclusion

The liberal internationalism has changed over the years from visions of different U.S. leaders, and every vision has its own revision of the previous point of views. With lack of thoughts on cooperation between states to promote human rights, social protections, and economic development, Wilson’s version of liberal internationalism was viewed as a crisis of failure. While Roosevelt made his point of strengthening the system and made it its way to the crisis of success with some important steps in the global security, economy, and global governance, and Truman’s vision was more focused on the expansion of membership of non-Western states in the governing institutions with the hierarchy power that was flatter. However with the different vision of liberal internationalism, the U.S. has been trying to maintain its power in the global community to pursue global peace and security, and to spread liberal rules and norms  with the wider vision of liberal internationalism from its leader.