The Truman Doctrine

As foreign policy goes, doctrines are kind of a big deal.

Basically, a doctrine is a speech or published statement that outlines a speaker's stance on an issue or certain set of ideas. Presidential doctrines specifically deal with issues or ideas regarding foreign policy.

They're almost always given before a joint session of Congress, because the president needs Congress to support his stance (doctrine) by approving legislation that funds or enforces the doctrine. To give credit where it's due and to also reinforce the "official-ness" of the statement, the doctrine is usually named after the president that presents it. The Truman Doctrine is called "the Truman Doctrine" because, well, it's President Truman's doctrine.