The Dynamics of Domestic Politics and Arms Control: SALT II Treaty Ratification Debate

This consideration of the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT II) ratification debate focuses on the role that domestic political factors - including public opinion, the executive branch of the government, Congress, and special interest groups - play in the ratification of arms control treaties, calling attention to the importance of these factors in the treaty ratification process. After reviewing the domestic and international contexts of the treaty ratification debate, the author considers the role of public opinion and interest groups. The Carter administration's strategy for obtaining the Senate's approval of the treaty is described and assessed, and in the concluding chapter, the lessons of the SALT II case are presented. Included in the book are interviews with a number of key players in the treaty negotiation process, such as former President Jimmy Carter, Senator Alan Cranston, former President Gerald Ford, Senator Mark Hatfield, Senator William Proxmire and former Secretary of State Cyrus Vance.…