U.S. Foreign Policy: The Paradox of World Power

by Steven W. Hook, Amy Skonieczny

Overview

The same aspects of American government and society that propelled the United States to global primacy have also hampered its orderly and successful conduct of foreign policy. This paradox challenges U.S. leaders to overcome threats to America′s world power in the face of fast-moving global developments and political upheavals at home. U.S. Foreign Policy explores this paradox, identifies its key sources and manifestations, and considers its future implications. Authors Steven W. Hook and Amy Skonieczny help students learn how to think critically about these cascading developments and the link between the process and the conduct of U.S. foreign policy. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781071844427
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	05/22/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	360
File size:	20 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Steven W. Hook (1959-2022) was professor of political science at Kent State University. In addition to this book, he was co-author of American Foreign Policy Since World War II (CQ Press, 2019, 21st ed., with John Spanier) and author of National Interest and Foreign Aid (Lynne Rienner, 1995). His edited books include U.S. Foreign Policy Today: American Renewal? (CQ Press, 2012, with James M. Scott), the Routledge Handbook of American Foreign Policy (Routledge Press, 2012, with Christopher M. Jones), and Democratic Peace in Theory and Practice (Kent State University Press, 2010). His journal articles have appeared in World Politics, International Studies Quarterly, Asian Survey, Foreign Policy Analysis, International Interactions, and other leading journals. Professor Hook received a BA (1982) in Journalism and Political Science from the University of Michigan and an MA (1990) and PhD (1993) in International Studies from the University of South Carolina. At Kent State, he received the university’s Distinguished Teaching Award in 2007 and served as department chair from 2008 to 2012. He was a past president of the Foreign Policy Analysis sections of the American Political Science Association and the International Studies Association.

Amy Skonieczny is Professor at San Francisco State University in the International Relations Department. Her research interests include populism and foreign policy, narratives and US trade politics, and the study of national identity and foreign policy discourses. She completed her Ph.D. in Political Science at the University of Minnesota. Skonieczny’s publications over the past five years have focused on the rise of populism in the United States, particularly with the Trump presidency and its impact on US trade policy. She is a co-editor of the book series Global Populisms and a board member of the journal Populism. Her recent publications include “Saying the Unspeakable: Populism, Performance and the Politics of Covid-19,” forthcoming in Populism; Political Communication and Performative Leadership in International Politics, edited by Corina Lacatus, Georg Lofflmann and Gustav Meibauer (with Giorgio Boggio); “The Trump Shock: Populism and Changing Narratives of US Foreign Policy” (with Georg Lofflmann and Rubrick Biegon) in Populist Foreign Policy: Regional Perspectives of Populism in the International Scene, edited by Philip Giurlando and Daniel Wajner (2023); “Economic Security and the US-China Trade War” in Contemporary Cases in U.S. Foreign Policy: From National Security to Human Security, 6th edition, edited by Ralph Carter (2021); "Trump Talk: Rethinking Elections, Rhetoric, and American Foreign Policy" in the journal Politics (2021); and "The Trump Effect: Toxic Politics and Emotional Populism in US-China Relations" (with Ancita Sherel), forthcoming in the special issue "The Effects of Global Populism" in International Affairs (expected Fall 2024). 

Table of Contents

Figures, Tables, Maps, and Boxes
Preface
Part I The Setting of U.S. Foreign Policy
Chapter 1 The United States in a Turbulent World
The Paradox of America’s World Power
The Numbers of U.S. Foreign Policy
Conclusion
Chapter 2 The Expansion of U.S. Power
Economic and Territorial Expansion
Fighting Two World Wars
Global Primacy and the Cold War
New Challenges After the Cold War
Conclusion
Chapter 3 Dynamics of Decision Making
The Global Context: Rival Perspectives
Opening the “Black Box” of Domestic Politics
The Impact of Civil Society
Coping With Bureaucratic Politics
The Human Factor
Conclusion
Part II Inside-Out: Government Sources of Foreign Policy
Chapter 4 Presidential Power
The Constitution’s Mixed Blessing
Presidential Prerogative in the “Zone of Twilight”
Structures of the “Presidential Branch”
Judicial Interventions in Foreign Policy
Conclusion
Chapter 5 Congress Beyond the “Water’s Edge”
Trends in Legislative-Executive Relations
Constraints on Congressional Action
Foreign Policy by Committee
War Powers and the Use of Force
The Power of the Purse
Conclusion
Chapter 6 The Foreign Policy Bureaucracy
Agency Dysfunctions and the Paradox of World Power
The Diplomatic Complex
The Security Complex
The Intelligence Complex
The Economic Complex
Conclusion
Part III Outside-In: External Sources of Foreign Policy
Chapter 7 Public Opinion at Home and Abroad
Democracy and the Paradox of World Power
Public Opinion Since World War II
Conclusion
Chapter 8 The Impact of Mass Communications
Functions of the News Media
Patterns of Foreign News Coverage
The Social Media Revolution
Social Media and Polarization
Digital Diplomacy and American Image Abroad
Conclusion
Chapter 9 Social Movements and Interest Groups
Group Action and the Paradox
Dynamics of Social Movements
Types of Foreign Policy NGOs
Group Strategies and Tactics
Buying Power: The Corporate Connection
Conclusion
Part IV Policy Domains
Chapter 10 National Security and Defense Policy
The Foundation of Strategy
Justifying the Use of Force
The Nuclear Shadow
Waging War on Terror
Conclusion
Chapter 11 Economic Statecraft
Models of Political Economy
The Balance of Economic Power
Trade Policy as a “Two-Level Game”
National Interests and Foreign Aid
Economic Sanctions as a Policy Tool
Conclusion
Chapter 12 Transnational Policy Problems
Managing the Global Commons
The Immigration Debate
Human Rights and Democracy
Prospects for “Exporting” Democracy
Threats to Democracy at Home
Conclusion
Appendix A U.S. Administrations Since World War II
Appendix B The War Powers Resolution of 1973
Glossary
Notes
References
Author Citations and Index
About the Author

Editorial Reviews

This book does an excellent job outlining the process of US foreign policy and the institutions of US foreign policy. More importantly, it is incredibly accessible and its approach is useful not just to students who are interested in USFP but to all students of American government.

Review - Michael Grossman

An approachable text that uses a range of foreign policy theories to explore the sometimes contradictory ways the United States exercises power in a globalized world.

Review - Brian R. Urlacher

One of the best foreign policy books out there. This book has all the aspects that you want to teach.

Review - Zachary Houser

This is a good, readable foreign policy text that covers all the basics.

Review - Darren Wheeler

There are some pretty good texts on the process of U. S. foreign policymaking and some pretty good books on the content and history of U. S. foreign policy, but there are very few that combine both in anything more than a perfunctory manner. That makes this text one of the most complete and comprehensive introductions to U.S. foreign policy out there. Because major topics are fully contained in separate chapters, the text can be used modularly. Moreover, it is well written for a student audience. While it presents topics for the novice in this field of study, it is not dumbed-down. It nicely combines facts and history with theories of foreign policymaking and analysis. Students who read this book will experience a superb introduction to American foreign policy and how it is studied.

Steven G. Livingston

Hook’s text is one of the leading foreign policy textbooks precisely because of its overall structure, approach, and balance of detail that supports the overarching theme—the paradox of power. Each edition improves on the last, providing students with a clear introduction to U.S. foreign policy.”

Peter H. Loedel

Each time I teach the U.S. foreign policy course and use Hook’s book, students really read it. The writing style is clear and accessible, and students have even commented on the helpfulness of graphics. All in all, I continue to use U.S. Foreign Policy: The Paradox of World Power because my students respond to it so well.”

Linda Adams

In his U. S. Foreign Policy book, Steven Hook provides an unbiased and detailed survey of American foreign policy and its dilemmas and paradoxes over time. Its framework is especially valuable in explaining many of the country’s foreign policy dilemmas and challenges under the Trump Administration. It is highly recommended for students, scholars, and professionals in the area of U. S. foreign policy.

Ivan Dinev Ivanov

U.S. Foreign Policy: The Paradox of World Power is one of the most complete and comprehensive introductions to U.S. foreign policy available. It is well-written for a student audience, and I am impressed with just how comprehensive it is. Students who read this book will have a superb introduction to American foreign policy and how it is studied.”

Steven Livingston

Hook’s text delivers a comprehensive but up-to-date and easily accessible account of the internal and external forces that constrain U. S. foreign policy makers.

Niall Michelsen