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In exploring the special nature of alliances among democracies, this book argues that the West European and Canadian allies exerted greater influence on American foreign policy during the Cold War than most analysts assume. In doing so, it challenges traditional alliance theories that emphasize strategic interactions and power-based bargaining processes. For a better understanding of the transatlantic relationship, the author proposes that we instead turn to liberal theories of international affairs. Accordingly, liberal democracies are likely to form the "pacific federations" described by Immanuel Kant or "pluralistic security communities" as suggested by Karl W. Deutsch. Through case studies, the author shows that the Europeans affected security decisions concerning vital US interest during the 1950-1953 Korean War, the 1958-1964 test ban negotiations, and the 1952 Cuban missile crisis - all during a span of time in which the US enjoyed undisputed economic and military supremacy in the alliance. The case studies are situated within a theoretical framework that demonstrates that the European influence on decision-making processes in Washington worked through three mechanisms: norm