Contemporary American Debates on Woodrow Wilson and Wilsonianism

Woodrow Wilson, the 28th US President, and his ideological legacy have traditionally been at the center of socio-political debates since the First World War. His program of restructuring the international relations system based on the concept of liberal internationalism has always been the most actively discussed. Despite polarized views on Wilsonianism, it has remained a key theoretical framework in international relations for over a century. However, the 2020s have seen a clear decline in Wilson’s prestige and his ideological principles. This article examines the content of criticism of the president from certain segments of contemporary American society. First, Wilson’s ideas were opposed by a youth faction of radical left-wing neoliberals. During the Princeton student riots, they accused him of adhering to racial segregation and injecting racial views into foreign policy. Second, Wilsonianism was harshly criticized by conservatives, especially Trumpists. They argue that the danger of Wilson’s foreign policy legacy stems from the fact that his priorities determine the American political elite’s commitment to a global agenda at the expense of US national interests. The author concludes that contemporary debates on Wilsonianism demonstrate a crisis in the ideology of liberal internationalism in the context of the emergence of a new world order.