doctrine
A set of important ideas or rules that a church, political group, or other organization teaches as true.
An established and authoritative set of beliefs or principles, especially those taught and upheld by a religious, political, or ideological group.
A rule or idea in law that judges use again and again to help them decide cases.
A general legal principle or framework, developed through statutes and case law, that courts follow when deciding cases.
A clear, often named rule about how a government will act in the world, especially in war or foreign relations.
An official and often named principle that states how a government will act, especially in foreign policy or military strategy.
- Base: doctrine
- Plural: doctrine, doctrines
Bush Doctrine
1U.S. preemptive war policy
A U.S. foreign policy idea linked to President George W. Bush that said the U.S. could attack first if it believed a country was a serious future threat.
- The invasion was widely described as an example of the Bush Doctrine.
- Critics argued that the Bush Doctrine increased global instability.
Carter Doctrine
1U.S. Persian Gulf policy
A U.S. policy from President Jimmy Carter that said the U.S. would use force if needed to protect its interests in the Persian Gulf region.
- The Carter Doctrine underlined the strategic importance of the Persian Gulf for the United States.
- Oil security played a central role in the Carter Doctrine.
doctrine of discovery
1principle justifying colonial land claims
A historical legal idea that European powers used to justify taking land from Indigenous peoples when they "discovered" new territories.
- Many Indigenous activists call for the rejection of the doctrine of discovery.
- Courts have begun to question the continued use of the doctrine of discovery in land cases.
doctrine of double effect
1ethics rule on harmful side effects
An idea in ethics that says an action can be right even if it has bad side effects, as long as the bad result is not wanted, only allowed, and the good result is more important.
- Philosophers often discuss the doctrine of double effect in debates about medical ethics.
- The doctor defended her decision using the doctrine of double effect.
doctrine of fair use
1principle allowing limited copyright use
A rule in copyright law that lets people use small parts of books, music, and other works without permission in special cases like study, news, or comment.
- The court decided that the video fell under the doctrine of fair use.
- Teachers often rely on the doctrine of fair use when sharing short texts in class.
doctrine of precedent
1legal rule to follow earlier cases
The legal rule that courts should decide new cases in the same way as earlier cases that are similar.
- The doctrine of precedent is a key feature of common law systems.
- Law students spend a lot of time studying how the doctrine of precedent works in practice.
doctrine of separation of powers
1principle dividing government powers
The idea in many constitutions that government power should be split into different parts, like the executive, legislature, and courts, so that no one part has too much power.
- The doctrine of separation of powers is central to many democratic systems.
- Judges used the doctrine of separation of powers to limit the president’s actions.
Monroe Doctrine
1U.S. policy on Western Hemisphere
A famous U.S. foreign policy idea from 1823 that said European countries should not build new colonies or interfere in North and South America.
- The Monroe Doctrine helped shape U.S. relations with Latin America for many years.
- Historians still debate how the Monroe Doctrine influenced later U.S. interventions.
shock doctrine
1using crises to push policies
A critical term for the idea that leaders use wars, disasters, or economic crises as a chance to force through economic changes that people might not accept in normal times.
- Some critics described the rapid privatization program as an example of the shock doctrine.
- The book argues that the shock doctrine has been used in many countries since the 1970s.
Truman Doctrine
1U.S. aid policy against communism
A U.S. policy announced in 1947 that promised money and help to countries that were fighting against communism.
- The Truman Doctrine marked the start of the U.S. policy of containment during the Cold War.
- Under the Truman Doctrine, the United States sent aid to Greece and Turkey.