Episode 16: Peace, The Norm. War, The Exception.

As the Cold War ended, many in the national security establishment thought history had ended: American-style democracy and capitalism were triumphal and terminal. What implications would this have for U.S. foreign policy? Andrew Bacevich, the president of the newly launched Quincy Institute, observes how America has attempted to make the world in its image through coercion and excessive military power -- and continues to do so today. This policy, Bacevich argues, has led to a series of military interventions that are often unjustified and counterproductive. How did U.S. foreign policy fail to learn from its history? And what are organizations such as the Quincy Institute going to do about this worrisome trend?

Andrew Bacevich is president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. He is Professor Emeritus of International Relations and History at Boston University and the author of many books, most recently The Age of Illusions: How America Squandered Its Cold War Victory.