During the Cold War, there were those who argued that the United States should try to “roll back” the Soviet Union, bring down the communist system, and replace it with democratic capitalism. Others deemed this to be too dangerous in an era defined by nuclear weapons, and the US opted instead for a policy of containment, working to limit the reach of Soviet power and influence.
关于“现实主义”和“理想主义”的争论一直是激烈且持久。在冷战时期，有一种声音认为美国应该“击垮”苏联，摧毁共产主义制度，给它带来资本主义的民主制度。另一些人这样做过于危险，因为苏联拥有核武器。美国当时采取的外交政策是“遏制”，就是限制苏联政权的权力及对周边的影响力。结果是，经过40年的“遏制”政策，苏联及其帝国轰然倒塌。这些虽然不是美国外交政策的主要目的 ，但这都是美国外交政策所带来的结果。