A Concise History of U.S. Foreign Policy - Softcover

Kaufman, Joyce

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1442270454 ISBN 13: 9781442270459

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield, 2017

Synopsis

Now in a fully updated edition that goes through the Obama administration and the election of Donald Trump, this compact and accessible introduction offers a historical perspective on the evolution of U.S. foreign policy from the founding to the present. Joyce P. Kaufman provides students with a clear and concise understanding of key decisions and why they were made. She identifies the major themes that have guided foreign policy and the reasons that the United States pursued the policies that it did in the context of specific periods in the nation’s history. The book focuses on the major actors involved in the making of foreign policy and the changing relationships among them. It also explains the major theoretical perspectives within international relations and places key foreign policy decisions within these frameworks. Kaufman concludes with a look forward to the challenges the United States will face in the coming decades. With its strong narrative and use of compelling case studies, the book engages students fully in this crucial topic, encouraging them to form their own ideas about American foreign policy.

About this title

About the Author

Joyce P. Kaufman is professor of political science at Whittier College.

Review

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)

This fully updated edition offers a historical perspective on the evolution of U.S. foreign policy from the founding through the Obama administration. The book provides a clear analysis of key decisions and why they were made, and identifies the major themes that have guided foreign policy. It includes the reasons that the United States pursued the policies that it did in the context of specific periods in the nation’s history. With its strong narrative and use of compelling case studies, the book engages students and encourages them to form their own ideas about American foreign policy.

Edition details

• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 1442270454
• ISBN 13: 9781442270459
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 4
• Number of pages: 255