Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Pages: 256
•
Trim: 6¼ x 9⅜
978-1-4422-7044-2 • Hardback • February 2017 • $100.00 • (£77.00)
978-1-4422-7045-9 • Paperback • February 2017 • $39.00 • (£30.00)
978-1-4422-7046-6 • eBook • February 2017 • $37.00 • (£28.00)
Joyce P. Kaufman is professor of political science at Whittier College.
Preface to the Fourth Edition
Chapter 1 Setting the Stage for Understanding U.S. Foreign Policy
Chapter 2 Unilateralism to Engagement: The Founding to the End of World War I, 1777–1920
Chapter 3 From Isolationism to Superpower: The Interwar Years through World War II, 1920–1945
Chapter 4 The Making of a Superpower: Cold War Foreign Policy, 1946–1980
Chapter 5 The Cold War and Beyond: Reagan through Clinton, 1981–2001
Chapter 6 George W. Bush: A New Direction for U.S. Foreign Policy? 2001–2009
Chapter 7 Obama and U.S. Foreign Policy: 2009–2017 and Beyond
Chapter 8 The Future of U.S. Foreign Policy
Suggested Readings
Notes
Kaufman offers a work for political science students that focuses on overarching themes (e.g., national interest), decision processes (e.g., interplay within the executive), and decision makers (e.g., the president, Congress). Recommended. (Previous Edition Praise)
— CHOICE
A welcome addition to texts on U.S. foreign policy. The book provides a very comprehensive and yet succinct overview of theories, the history of U.S. foreign policy from the founding of the country, and a contemporary analysis of foreign policy and considerations for the future. The inclusion of a feminist analysis, which is often neglected in most texts, is also appreciated. The writing is very accessible to students, linking their own lives to how and why foreign policy matters to them. (Previous Edition Praise)
— Kristen P. Williams, Clark University
Teachers of American foreign policy often struggle to find the right balance between diplomatic history and contemporary policy debates. In a short and highly readable text, Joyce Kaufman gets the balance just right and provides an anchor for building effective classroom discussions about where we have come from and where we might be headed. (Previous Edition Praise)
— Robert A. Strong, Washington and Lee University
A very good, concise summary suitable for undergraduate students in U.S. International Relations. (Previous Edition Praise)
— Andrew F. Clark, University of North Carolina, Wilmington
Joyce Kaufman's A Concise History of U.S. Foreign Policy is a wonderfully readable guide. It will be a welcome addition to the classroom. (Previous Edition Praise)
— James M. Goldgeier, George Washington University
Sometimes shorter is better. This compact and carefully written text skillfully analyzes the steady growth of American international reach and the irregular patterns of its involvement abroad. (Previous Edition Praise)
— Barry Hughes, University of Denver
Written in a lively, student-friendly manner on a subject—the evolution of U.S. foreign policy—with which students are woefully unfamiliar, this slender volume fills a vital role for those instructors who want to acquaint their students with the sweep of the American foreign policy experience without overwhelming the course. The style is lively and engaging. I found the discussion of the early Cold War particularly valuable. A recommended supplement. (Previous Edition Praise)
— Donald M. Snow, University of Alabama
Joyce Kaufman’s new edition of A Concise History of U.S. Foreign Policy is excellent. It updates previous editions not only with discussion of the Obama administration’s policies but also with added historical perspectives. For the classroom, the text challenges students through interesting case studies to discuss and debate contentious foreign policy decisions. At the same time, its concise nature allows faculty to complement the text with additional materials.
— Gale Mattox, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
This book is comprehensive, accessible, and thought-provoking. It gives the student enough information about the players and institutions who make U.S. foreign policy, and it carefully covers the significant events that help to shape the foreign policy narrative in the United States. It is the work of a first-rate scholar who clearly cares about teaching. A rare contribution to our critical analysis of U.S. foreign policy that is so badly needed today.
— Steven Lamy, University of Southern California Dornsife
- Offers students a clear framework for understanding American foreign policy decisions from both a theoretical and a historical standpoint
- Identifies the major actors involved with the making of foreign policy decisions, as well as the context within which these decisions were made
- Uses case studies to encourage students to explore topics in more detail and form their own ideas about American foreign policy
- Comprehensive yet concise, it can be easily augmented with primary sources or other works to remind students they are studying a “living” issue
- Written in a conversational and jargon-free style designed to hold students’ interest
- Concludes each substantive chapter with a “What would you do if. . . ” case for students
- Designed to be augmented by other readings and primary sources
- Goes through the Obama administration and presages the 2016 presidential election
New features- Broadens the theoretical focus by expanding the discussion of key concepts such as realism, liberalism, and feminism
- Includes contending approaches to some of the decisions made
- Explores the controversy over the dropping of the atomic bombs and the short- and long-term implications of those decisions
- Updated to assess the Obama’s administration’s legacy
- Includes a critical analysis of the Bush administration, incorporating recent sources
- Explores the implications of the ongoing conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq for the lessons that they teach
- Offers a perspective on the civil war in Syria, including a case that asks students to consider the policy options facing the United States
- Includes a discussion of the changing challenges the United States is confronting in a globalized world, including threats from non-state actors, cyber-terrorism, and what can be broadly referred to as “human security”