Presidents and Foreign Policy examines countdowns to ten important and controversial decisions in the post-World War II period, using the case study approach. The authors include one major controversy for each president from Truman to Clinton. The cases cover central issues of diplomacy, war and peace, and covert action that shaped the Cold War period and its aftermath in all major areas of the world.

After reviewing the historical background of each decision, each case examines the foreign and domestic policy context, the effectiveness of presidential decision-making, and results of the decision. The reader is challenged to think about each decision by responding to a unique evaluation scheme the authors developed and tested.