Zobnin A.V. Domino theory within the foreign political thought

Abstract: This article is deticated the study of opinions and approaches of global political-academic community concerning the origins, nature and effectiveness of the domino theory in the US foreign policy of the XX-XXI centuries. The author present the theoretical-game and rational grounds of the domino theory, precedents of its use within the history of international relations over the last 50 years, as well as the objections and criticism notes of the representatives of the global academic community regarding the application of the domino theory. The conclusion is made about the simplicity and high effectiveness of the domino theory that made such strategy popular among the American foreign policy elite. Domino theory acquired high popularity due to the fact that its effectiveness could be determined only by the hypothetical possibility of the interference of the United States into the course of events. Unlike the principle of the balance of powers, which strives to consider the behavioral strategies of multiple actors and the current status of the international environments, the domino theory suggested just to possible options of the US behavior in resolving the domestic policy conflicts of the foreign nations. At the same time, the domino theory has suffered a serious ideological formation, which made it extremely controversial. This inconsistency led to the presence in the global political-academic community of several groups offering their vision of the essence and meaning of the theory in world history and politics. The largest groups can be considered the "universalists", who believe the domino theory is a universal theory that is similar to the principle of the balance of powers; and the "historicists", who define the theory as the place for the local foreign policy strategy of the United States during the Cold War period.

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