American Foreign Policy and Process

This comprehensive text provides a thorough analysis of the values and beliefs that have shaped American foreign policy, exploring how they have evolved over time. Through exploration of presidential administrations from the end of World War II to the present day, American Foreign Policy and Process provides an extensive comparison of policymaking processes during the Cold War, after Vietnam, and after 9/11. This new edition provides an up-to-date evaluation of the Trump and Biden administrations, including updates to reflect the current changes in the actions of important domestic foreign policy institutions. A series of chapters provides assessments of the role of governmental actors and non-governmental actors in affecting the direction of foreign policy. Through the use of supportive maps, key documents, figures, and tables, students will examine the history of American foreign policy and how it has evolved over time, with emphasis on comparing the changing approaches of administrations from Nixon through Biden.

Table of Contents:
List of figures; List of maps; List of tables; Documents and document summaries; __ Preface; Part I. Values and Policies in American Foreign Affairs; 1. America's traditions in foreign policy; 2. America's global involvement and the emergence of the Cold War; 3. After the missile crisis and the Vietnam War: realism and liberalism in foreign policy; 4. The return and end of the Cold War: the Reagan and Bush administrations; 5. Foreign policy after the Cold War and 9/11: the Clinton and Bush administrations; 6. Changing foreign policy directions: the Obama and Trump administrations; 7. A foreign policy of restoration? The Biden administration; Part II. The Process of Policy Making; 8. The President and the making of foreign policy; 9. Congressional prerogatives and the making of foreign policy; 10. The diplomatic and economic bureaucracies: duplication or specialization?; 11. The military and intelligence bureaucracies: pervasive or accountable?; 12. Political parties, bipartisanship, and interest groups; 13. The media, public opinion, and the foreign policy process; Part III. Conclusion; 14. American foreign policy values and the future; Index

About the Author :
James M. McCormick, Professor Emeritus of Political Science, taught at Iowa State University for over four decades. He has published American Foreign Policy and Process (six editions), co-edited The Domestic Sources of American Foreign Policy (seven editions), and has had articles published in World Politics, American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, and many more. He has been the recipient of numerous academic awards, including the ISU Foundation Award for Outstanding Research, Fulbright Senior Award, and the ISU International Service Award.

Review :
'In the latest edition of his book, Professor McCormick correctly frames U.S. foreign policy as shaped by competing American values, even when those values are sometimes in tension with one another. The influence of Congress, interest groups, public opinion, and bureaucratic actors are all capably examined. Overall, this is the single best textbook on the subject.' Colin Dueck, the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University 'This textbook provides a wonderfully rich overview of the ideas, actors, and processes that shape U.S. foreign policy. It draws on the latest research, illustrates key ideas with compelling examples, and is a pleasure to read. It's an ideal textbook for a U.S. foreign policy course and a valuable resource for all students of foreign affairs.' Jordan Tama, School of International Service, American University 'In the new edition of American Foreign Policy and Process, James McCormick has improved this already outstanding text. His thorough and thoughtful updates and discussion of the Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations make this book a 'must.' It is student-friendly and filled with timely scholarship. This is the most up-to-date text available, loaded with insights derived from McCormick's distinguished career.' Patrick Haney, Miami University 'Professor McCormick's book combines a comprehensive review of U.S. foreign policy history with a careful analysis of the institutional foreign policy process. McCormick's analysis is thematically driven, with a focus on how political competition on values and beliefs has consistently shaped U.S. foreign policy since the Founding, with a particular focus on the period since World War II. The author effectively applies different theoretical lenses to the foreign policies of U.S. presidents and how other institutions have competed to shape U.S. policy. The analysis includes extensive use of updated empirical data from political science scholarship, providing a fresh take on past and current foreign policy problems.' Jeffrey Peake, Clemson University