Interests

So, while attempting to avoid rereading Max Weber to find out what I missed (I've had to read too many Germans recently. My head is full of Clausewitz for another class outside of this curriculum.), I started to ponder the ideas and interests question. In an attempt to make some real world connections, I started to think about how policy, the actual manifestations of our theoretical discussions, is created.

Naturally, the way policy is created differs between states. There are also differences over time. For this post I want to look at modern democracies. I would suggest that the policy development cycle in North Korea could be summed up by what kind of day Kim Jong-un is having. The thoughts of your average North Korean peasant (since they are surely not treated as citizens) probably don't have much effect on policy.

However, a modern democracy is supposed to be derived from the people. How accurately this happens is an open question. However, I think I can point to some situations where policy was clearly influenced by ideas within the population and not some hard calculation of interests.

The one I will look at now is the divestment movement regarding South Africa during Apartheid. Prior to the divestment movement, the US had ties with South Africa in the context of the Cold War. I argue that this was classic interest based policy. However, during the 1980s the divestment movement gained popularity throughout the US, and culminated with the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986. Interestingly enough, the act was vetoed by Reagan but overriden by Congress.

Although claims can be made that by imposing sanctions against South Africa the US was in fact furthering its interests because it was maintaining the narrative that the US supports freedom and democracy world wide, as opposed to the Soviet Union. However, I believe that the Reagan veto represents the 'interest' side and the override represented the 'ideas' side.