The Shannon Doctrine is a United States foreign policy doctrine associated with the Presidency of Elizabeth Shannon and, to a lesser extent, her successor, Robert Redford, during the 1980's and early 1990's. The doctrine, which also followed the longer-lasting policy of "preventism," was a non-confrontational attitude towards the Cold War in which the United States focused on shoring up its allies and funding friendly governments through aid and diplomatic support, as opposed to the "direct confrontation" employed under the Van Dyke Doctrine or the "containment" policy of the Wallace Doctrine.