Do Morals Matter? Presidents and Foreign Policy from FDR to Trump

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By Joseph S. Nye ’58

Published Jan. 15, 2020

 In Do Morals Matter?, Joseph S. Nye ’58, a leading scholar of international relations, analyzes how ethics have factored into U.S. foreign policy during the post-1945 era. Examining each presidency from Truman to Trump, Nye scores foreign-policy outcomes along three ethical dimensions: their intentions, the means they used, and the consequences of their decisions. Alongside this, he evaluates presidential leadership qualities, elaborating on which approaches work and which do not.

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PAW's July/August 2025 issue cover, featuring a photo of people dressed in orange and black, marching in the P-rade, and the headline: Reunions, Back in Orange & Black.
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July 2025

On the cover: Wilton Virgo ’00 and his classmates celebrate during the P-rade.