The Impact Of Public Opinion On U S Foreign Policy Since Vietnam

Author : Richard Sobel
Publisher : Oxford University Press on Demand
Page : 276 pages
File Size : 54,7 Mb
Release : 2001
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 0195105281

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The Impact of Public Opinion on U.S. Foreign Policy Since Vietnam by Richard Sobel Pdf

How strongly does public opinion affect the making of U.S. foreign policy? In The Impact of Public Opinion on U.S. Foreign Policy Since Vietnam, Richard Sobel provides a compelling answer to this provocative question that has long stirred spirited debate among scholars, activists, and policymakers. The book explains how public attitudes have affected the making of U.S. foreign policy. It also explores the tension between theoretical views of what the role of public opinion should be in a democracy and the actual historical records. Focusing on four of the most prominent foreign interventions of the last generation--the Vietnam War, the Nicaraguan contra funding controversy, the Persian Gulf War, and the Bosnia crisis--the book demonstrates that public opinion constrained but did not set American foreign policy. The cases provide detailed information on the events, public attitudes, and policies for each of these four major U.S. conflicts. Sobel supports his argument with insights drawn from the words of decision-makers in public statements, records, and memoirs, as well as from interviews with three former secretaries of state and four former secretaries of defense. The book also explores how public sentiment about a specific crisis emerges over time and how it is often tied to the climate of interventionist and noninterventionist opinion. Clearly written, The Impact of Public Opinion on U.S. Foreign Policy Since Vietnam is an essential text for courses in American government, public opinion, political behavior, and American foreign policy. It will also have strong appeal to scholars, policy makers, and general readers who are interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the politics behind the most significant conflicts of recent times.

Author : Ole R. Holsti
Publisher : University of Michigan Press
Page : 401 pages
File Size : 53,6 Mb
Release : 2004-06
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780472030118

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Public Opinion and American Foreign Policy, Revised Edition by Ole R. Holsti Pdf

Thoroughly revised edition of an essential text, incorporating a wealth of new material on American foreign policy since 9/11. The second edition of this concise masterwork includes vast amounts of new material on American foreign policy in the post-9/11 era, including the war in Iraq. Holsti explores the poorly understood role of public opinion in international affairs, looking at Americans' capacity to make informed judgments about issues far removed from their personal experience. "Impressively comprehensive and current: an excellent revision of a book by the #1 authority on the topic. This new edition will remain at the forefront for consultation and textbook adoption on the topic for years to come." -Bruce Russett, Yale University "I thought the first edition was the best single treatment of the subject-so, apparently, did the student who 'borrowed' my copy-and this is a worthy successor. The new edition almost flawlessly accomplishes the goal Holsti sets for himself: an update of his landmark book in light of emerging research and the dramatically changed state of the world that confronts U.S. foreign policy." -Randy Siverson, University of California, Davis "For those who are curious about the impact of 9/11 on American public opinion, for serious students of the relationship between foreign policy and public opinion, for anyone who wants to understand contemporary American opinion about the United States' place in the world, and for citizens tired of conventional wisdom about a difficult and important subject, Holsti's study is not only interesting and topical, it is essential." -Maxine Isaacs, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University "In an age of almost weekly polling on foreign policy, Holsti's insights are indispensable. He delivers double tour de force in this new edition, providing his own current and historical research along with a comprehensive synthesis of the existing literature. His analysis of the relationships between public opinion and foreign policy since 9/11 will prove particularly valuable for students and scholars alike." -Richard Eichenberg, Tufts University "Holsti combines a vast knowledge of political history and a mastery of the relevant scholarship with up-to-date empirical data to address the question of what role the general public can play in shaping foreign policy. This revised edition is a remarkable achievement." -Shoon Murray, School of International Service, American University

Author : Richard A Melanson
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 332 pages
File Size : 55,6 Mb
Release : 2019-07-23
Category : History
ISBN : 9781315292793

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American Foreign Policy Since the Vietnam War by Richard A Melanson Pdf

A revealing look at presidential politics and foreign policy-making from the aftermath of Vietnam to the NATO intervention in Kosovo. The book illuminates the relationship between presidents' domestic and foreign policy priorities and the key role of public opinion in constraining presidential initiatives, particularly the ability of a president to use military force overseas. In case studies ranging from the invasion of Grenada through the Gulf War and the dilemmas of Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia and Kosovo, Melanson provides compelling portraits of presidents Nixon, Carter, Reagan, Bush and Clinton, and their different efforts to forge a foreign policy consensus.

Author : Thomas Knecht
Publisher : Penn State Press
Page : 279 pages
File Size : 40,7 Mb
Release : 2015-09-10
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780271056685

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Paying Attention to Foreign Affairs by Thomas Knecht Pdf

Do American presidents consider public opinion when making foreign policy decisions? In a democracy, it is generally assumed that citizen preferences inform public policy. For a variety of reasons, however, foreign policy has always posed a difficult challenge for democratic governance. In Paying Attention to Foreign Affairs, Thomas Knecht offers new insights into the relationship between public opinion and U.S. foreign policy. He does so by shifting our focus away from the opinions that Americans hold and toward the issues that grab the public’s attention. Policy making under the glare of public scrutiny differs from policy making when no one is looking. As public interest in foreign policy increases, the political stakes also rise. A highly attentive public can then force presidents to choose foreign policies that are less politically risky but usually less effective. By tracking the ebb and flow of public attention to foreign policy, this book offers a method of predicting when presidents are likely to lead, follow, or simply ignore the American public.

Author : Eric Shiraev,Richard Sobel
Publisher : Lexington Books
Page : 368 pages
File Size : 51,6 Mb
Release : 2003
Category : History
ISBN : 0739104802

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International Public Opinion and the Bosnia Crisis by Eric Shiraev,Richard Sobel Pdf

Does public opinion matter in international conflict resolution? Does national foreign policy remain independent of public opinion and the media? International Public Opinion and the Bosnia Crisis examines, through U.S., Canadian, and European case studies, how public reaction impacted democratic governments' response to the ethnic and religious conflict in Bosnia during the period from 1991-1997. Each case study offers an overview of the national media coverage and public reaction to the war in the former Yugoslavia and examines the links between public opinion and political and military intervention in Bosnia. The result is a comprehensive evaluation of the complex relationship between public opinion, media coverage, and foreign policy decision-making.

Author : Danielle Chubb,Ian McAllister
Publisher : Springer Nature
Page : 247 pages
File Size : 42,8 Mb
Release : 2020-10-28
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9789811573972

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Australian Public Opinion, Defence and Foreign Policy by Danielle Chubb,Ian McAllister Pdf

This book examines the impact of Australian public opinion towards defence and foreign policy from the mid-twentieth century to the present day. For most of this period, the public showed little interest in defence and security policy and possessed limited knowledge about the strategic options available. The principal post-war exception to this pattern is, of course, the Vietnam War, when political divisions over Australia’s support for the U.S.-led action eventually resulted in the withdrawal of troops in 1972. The period since 2001 has seen a fundamental change both in the public’s views of defence and foreign affairs, and in how these issues are debated by political elites. This has come about as a result of major changes in the strategic environment such as a heightened public awareness of terrorism, party political divisions over Australia’s military commitment to the 2003-11 Iraq War and the increasing overlap of economic and trade considerations with defence and foreign policies, which has increased the public’s interest in these issues. Combining the expertise of one of Australia's foremost scholars of public opinion with that of an expert of international relations, particularly as pertains to Australia in Asia, this book will be a critical read for those wishing to understand Australia's alliance with the U.S., interactions with Asia and China, and the distinctive challenges posed to Australia by its geographic position.

Author : Eugene R. Wittkopf
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 424 pages
File Size : 40,8 Mb
Release : 1990
Category : Political Science
ISBN : UOM:39015018335649

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Faces of Internationalism by Eugene R. Wittkopf Pdf

In Faces of Internationalism, Eugene R. Wittkopf examines the changing nature of public attitudes toward American foreign policy in the post-Vietnam era and the role that public opinion plays in the American foreign policymaking process. Drawing on new data--four mass and four elite opinion surveys undertaken by the Chicago Council of Foreign Relations from 1974 to 1986--combined with sophisticated analysis techniques, Wittkopf offers a pathbreaking study that addresses the central question of the relationship of a democracy to its foreign policy. The breakdown of the "consensus" approach to American foreign policy after the Cold War years has become the subject of much analysis. This study contributes to revisionist scholarship by describing the beliefs and preferences that have emerged in the wake of this breakdown. Wittkopf counters traditional views by demonstrating the persistence of U.S. public opinion defined by two dominant and distinct attitudes in the post-Vietnam war years--cooperative and militant internationalism. The author explores the nature of these two "faces" of internationalism, focusing on the extent to which elites and masses share similar opinions and the political and sociodemographic correlates of belief systems. Wittkopf also offers an original examination of the relationship between beliefs and preferences.

Author : Eugene R. Wittkopf,James M. McCormick
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
Page : 450 pages
File Size : 49,8 Mb
Release : 2008
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 074254740X

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The Domestic Sources of American Foreign Policy by Eugene R. Wittkopf,James M. McCormick Pdf

The Domestic Sources of American Foreign Policy: Insights and Evidence is a collection of current readings on how the domestic environment impacts American foreign policy today. The volume contains essays by some of the best known scholars on U.S. foreign policy and provides articles that assess the effects of the larger societal environment, the impact of political institutions, and the roles of individuals and bureaucracies on American foreign policy.

Author : Nathaniel Copsey
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 178 pages
File Size : 51,9 Mb
Release : 2016-04-15
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781317073512

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Public Opinion and the Making of Foreign Policy in the 'New Europe' by Nathaniel Copsey Pdf

By drawing a new boundary between the EU and its eastern neighbours, the European Union has since 1989 created a frontier that has been popularly described in the frontier states as the new 'Berlin Wall'. This book is the first comparative study of the impact of public opinion on the making of foreign policy in two Eastern European states on either side of the divide: Poland and Ukraine. Focusing on the vocal, informed segment of public opinion and drawing on results of both opinion polls and a series of innovative focus groups gathered since the Orange Revolution, Nathaniel Copsey unravels the mystery of how this crucial segment of the public impacts on foreign policy makers in both states. He also takes a closer look at the business community and the importance of economic factors in forming public opinion. The book presents a fresh approach to our understanding of how the public's view of the past influences contemporary politics.

Author : Bernard Cecil Cohen
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 250 pages
File Size : 42,5 Mb
Release : 1972
Category : Political Science
ISBN : UOM:39015004077049

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The Public's Impact on Foreign Policy by Bernard Cecil Cohen Pdf

Author : Richard A. Melanson
Publisher : M.E. Sharpe
Page : 444 pages
File Size : 54,6 Mb
Release : 2005
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 0765611988

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American Foreign Policy Since the Vietnam War by Richard A. Melanson Pdf

This book integrates the study of presidential politics and foreign policy-making from the Vietnam aftermath to the events following September 11 and the Iraqi War. Focusing on the relationship between presidents' foreign policy agendas and domestic politics, it offers compelling portraits of presidents Nixon, Carter, Reagan, Bush I, Clinton, and Bush II. In the course of comparing the efforts of these presidents to articulate a clear conception of the national interest and to forge a foreign policy consensus, the author shows the key role of public opinion in constraining presidential initiatives, in particular the decision to use military force overseas. Never more timely, this popular text is appropriate for courses in U.S. foreign policy, the presidency, or contemporary U.S. politics.

Author : Andrew Johnstone,Helen Laville
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 232 pages
File Size : 49,8 Mb
Release : 2010-06-04
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 0203849272

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The US Public and American Foreign Policy by Andrew Johnstone,Helen Laville Pdf

Though often overlooked, public opinion has always played a significant role in the development and promotion of US foreign policy and this work seeks to comprehensively assess the impact and nature of that opinion through a collection of historical and contemporary essays. The volume evaluates the role of organizations and movements that look to represent public opinion, and assesses the nature of their relationship with the government. The contributors utilize a number of different approaches to examine this impact, including polling data, assessments of the role of the media, and the wider consideration of ideas and ideology, moving on to examine the specific role played by the public in the policy making and policy promotion process. Engaging with new questions as well as approaching old questions from a new angle, the work argues that whilst the roles change, and the extent of influence varies, the power of the public to both initiate and constrain foreign policy clearly exists and should not be underestimated. This work will be of great interest to all those with an interest in American foreign policy, American politics and American history.

Author : Richard Sobel
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Page : 336 pages
File Size : 42,9 Mb
Release : 1993
Category : History
ISBN : UOM:39015026821168

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Public Opinion in U.S. Foreign Policy by Richard Sobel Pdf

Author : Peter Hays Gries
Publisher : Stanford University Press
Page : 368 pages
File Size : 48,7 Mb
Release : 2014-04-16
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780804790925

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The Politics of American Foreign Policy by Peter Hays Gries Pdf

This “eye-opening analysis” explains how and why America’s culture wars and partisan divide have led to dysfunctional US policy abroad (The Atlantic). In this provocative book, Peter Gries challenges the view that partisan elites on Capitol Hill are out of touch with a moderate American public. Dissecting a new national survey, Gries shows how ideology powerfully divides Main Street over both domestic and foreign policy and reveals how and why, with the exception of attitudes toward Israel, liberals consistently feel warmer toward foreign countries and international organizations—and desire friendlier policies toward them—than conservatives do. The Politics of American Foreign Policy weaves together in-depth examinations of the psychological roots and foreign policy consequences of the liberal-conservative divide; the cultural, socio-racial, economic, and political dimensions of American ideology; and the moral values and foreign policy orientations that divide Democrats and Republicans. Within this context, the book explores why Americans disagree over US policy relating to Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, East Asia, and international organizations such as the UN.

Author : Robert J. McMahon,Thomas W. Zeiler
Publisher : CQ Press
Page : 762 pages
File Size : 50,7 Mb
Release : 2012-08-02
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781452235363

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Guide to U.S. Foreign Policy by Robert J. McMahon,Thomas W. Zeiler Pdf

At no time in American history has an understanding of the role and the art of diplomacy in international relations been more essential than it is today. Both the history of U.S. diplomatic relations and the current U.S. foreign policy in the twenty-first century are major topics of study and interest across the nation and around the world. Spanning the entire history of American diplomacy—from the First Continental Congress to the war on terrorism to the foreign policy goals of the twenty-first century—Guide to U.S. Foreign Policy traces not only the growth and development of diplomatic policies and traditions but also the shifts in public opinion that shape diplomatic trends. This comprehensive, two-volume reference shows how the United States gained "the strength of a giant" and also analyzes key world events that have determined the United States’ changing relations with other nations. The two volumes’ structure makes the key concepts and issues accessible to researchers: The set is broken up into seven parts that feature 40 topical and historical chapters in which expert writers cover the diplomatic initiatives of the United States from colonial times through the present day. Volume II’s appendix showcases an A-to-Z handbook of diplomatic terms and concepts, organizations, events, and issues in American foreign policy. The appendix also includes a master bibliography and a list of presidents; secretaries of state, war, and defense; and national security advisers and their terms of service. This unique reference highlights the changes in U.S. diplomatic policy as government administrations and world events influenced national decisions. Topics include imperialism, economic diplomacy, environmental diplomacy, foreign aid, wartime negotiations, presidential influence, NATO and its role in the twenty-first century, and the response to terrorism. Additional featured topics include the influence of the American two-party system, the impact of U.S. elections, and the role of the United States in international organizations. Guide to U.S. Foreign Policy is the first comprehensive reference work in this field that is both historical and thematic. This work is of immense value for researchers, students, and others studying foreign policy, international relations, and U.S history. ABOUT THE EDITORS Robert J. McMahon is the Ralph D. Mershon Professor of History in the Mershon Center for International Security Studies at The Ohio State University. He is a leading historian of American diplomatic history and is author of several books on U.S. foreign relations. Thomas W. Zeiler is professor of history and international affairs at the University of Colorado at Boulder and is the executive editor of the journal Diplomatic History.