American Foreign Policy
Subtitle: A Framework for Analysis
Contributors: Lee Ann Pingel (Contributor)
Publisher: CQ Press
Published: February 28, 2006
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 592
ISBN-13: 9781933116624
Subjects: International relations; United States; Philosophy; Foreign relations; Political Science; Politics / Current Events; Public Policy - General; Politics/International Relations; USA; Government - U.S. Government; International Relations - General; Case studies; 1989-
Description: William O. Chittick identifies three value orientations--security, economic, and community--that fundamentally shape U.S. foreign policy choices. Chittick argues that its not enough to look at only one of these dimensions--security, in the case of most traditional texts--or even one at a time. Instead, he makes a cogent and convincing case for the systematic study of all three and explains why privileging any one dimension over another leads to oversimplification and faulty decision making. Once students are shown how these value orientations work together in complex and interesting ways, they in turn can bring richer, more insightful analysis to the field. Chittick applies the books cohesive analytical framework throughout, covering the history of U.S. foreign policy as well as such contemporary issues as humanitarian interventions, global environmental problems, and international terrorism. He carefully weighs the criteria for different policy options and explores their utility: how effective are trade sanctions? What is the best way to pursue economic development in underdeveloped nations? This comprehensive overview of the policymaking process considers the many policy inputs--the foreign and domestic political, economic, and cultural factors that shape U.S. foreign policy outputs--from the perspective of the three dimensions.