Machinery and Politics of U.S. Foreign Policy Decision Making

Washington's need to manage foreign policy issues arises from America's far-flung concerns abroad, which impinge on U.S. security, economic, commercial, political, military, and ecological interests. Many federal bureaucracies are involved in solving problems, as well as Congress, the media, universities, non-governmental organizations, and the public. This course studies relevant institutions, their procedures, and their interactions in seeking solutions. We examine several recent cases of decision making, and discuss how major pending challenges in the Middle East, East Asia and elsewhere may be addressed.