Moral diplomacy

Moral diplomacy is a form of diplomacy proposed by US President Woodrow Wilson in his 1912 election. Moral diplomacy is the system in which support is given only to countries whose moral beliefs are analogous to that of the nation. This promotes the growth of the nation's ideals and damages nations with different ideologies. It was used by Woodrow Wilson to support countries with democratic governments and to economically injure non-democratic countries (seen as possible threats to the U.S.). He also hoped to increase the number of democratic nations, particularly in Latin America.

Woodrow Wilson was of the firm belief that democracy is the most essential aspect of a stable and prospering nation. He also believed that the United States had to play the pioneering role in promoting democracy and peace throughout the world. Several nations, especially in Latin-America, were under the influence of imperialism, something that Wilson opposed. In order to curb the growth of imperialism, and spread democracy, Wilson came up with the idea of moral diplomacy.

Wilson's moral diplomacy replaced the dollar diplomacy of William Howard Taft, which highlighted the importance of economic support to improve bilateral ties between two nations. Taft's dollar diplomacy was based on economic support, while Wilson's moral diplomacy was based on economic power.

Many of Woodrow Wilson's ideas about moral diplomacy and America's role in the world come from American exceptionalism. American exceptionalism is the proposition that the United States is different from other countries in that it has a specific world mission to spread liberty and democracy. In this view, America's exceptionalism stems from its emergence from a revolution and developing a uniquely American ideology, based on liberty, egalitarianism, individualism, populism and laissez-faire. This observation can be traced to , the first writer to describe the United States as "exceptional" in 1831 and 1840. In Woodrow Wilson's 1914 address on "The Meaning of Liberty" he stated alludes to Americas potential to be "the light which will shine unto all generations and guide the feet of mankind to the goal of justice and liberty and peace" and he later puts those ideas into action through moral diplomacy.

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