Overview
Neack's (political science, Miami U. in Oxford, Ohio) undergraduate text examines the changing character of contemporary foreign policy making. At the individual level, Neack discusses how scholars have studied leadership, rational decision making, cognition, leaders' moral positions and value stands. At the state level, she explores the shaping of foreign policy by national self-image and culture, democratic institutions and peaceful foreign policy, and the influences of domestic political opposition, partisan politics, public opinion, interest groups, and the media. At the system level, Neack discusses the interaction of power and position on foreign policy behavior. She then examines multilevel policy analysis, and the influence of nonstate actors on policy making. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, ORSynopsis
Foreign policy in the new millennium looks different from the traditional state-centered, top-down edicts issued by nation states throughout the 20th century. New actors and new institutions interact with established countries and contexts in a global environment of increasing complexity. Laura Neack draws on examples that range from the Dalai Lama and Pinochet to Amnesty International and Al Qaeda to illustrate the changing character of foreign policymaking and also to suggest its powerful effects in a world turned upside down as much by peacemaking as by terrorism.
Booknews
Neack's (political science, Miami U. in Oxford, Ohio) undergraduate text examines the changing character of contemporary foreign policy making. At the individual level, Neack discusses how scholars have studied leadership, rational decision making, cognition, leaders' moral positions and value stands. At the state level, she explores the shaping of foreign policy by national self-image and culture, democratic institutions and peaceful foreign policy, and the influences of domestic political opposition, partisan politics, public opinion, interest groups, and the media. At the system level, Neack discusses the interaction of power and position on foreign policy behavior. She then examines multilevel policy analysis, and the influence of nonstate actors on policy making. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Editorials
CHOICE
Praise for the First EditionThis dense yet apprehensible volume is made more accessible via the use of extensive cases to clarify the practical application of scholarly tools. Brief outlines of the content of each chapter's main subject areas significantly enhance the book's utility. Recommended.
Ole R. Holsti
Praise for the First EditionVery readable and interesting. Various vignettes are used to good advantage to illustrate multiple perspectives on foreign policy analysis. A nice flagship publication.
Robert J. Beck
Praise for the First EditionA clear, balanced, and accessible text with no gratuitous jargon. A solid work.
Donald A. Sylvan
Praise for the First EditionThe New Foreign Policy is a well-written, well-organized undergraduate text which integrates theory and examples well and is congruent with the way in which many professors want to introduce foreign policy to their students. I recommend it.
Jennifer Skulte-Ouaiss
Praise for the First EditionGiven my location in an English-speaking university in the Middle East, I work very hard to find texts in English that do not alienate my students. Neack does a great job of teaching the theory behind foreign policy analysis and gives numerous and diverse examples in the process.