Choosing to lead : understanding Congressional foreign policy entrepreneurs / Ralph G. Carter and James M. Scott.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Carter, Ralph G.

Contributor:

Scott, James M., 1964-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Government executives--United States.

Government executives.

Political entrepreneurship.

History.

United States.

Political entrepreneurship--United States--History--20th century.

Political entrepreneurship--United States--History--21st century.

United States--Foreign relations.

International relations.

Physical Description:

xi, 294 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Durham : Duke University Press, [2009]

Summary:

Shedding new light on how U.S. foreign policy is made, Ralph G. Carter and James M. Scott focus on "congressional foreign policy entrepreneurs," the often unrecognized representatives and senators who take action on foreign policy matters rather than waiting for the executive branch to do so. These proactive members of Congress have undertaken many initiatives, including reaching out to Franco's Spain, promoting détente with the Soviet Union, proposing the return of the Panama Canal, seeking to ban military aid to Pinochet's regime in Chile, pushing for military intervention in Haiti, and championing the recognition of Vietnam. In Choosing to Lead, Carter and Scott examine the characteristics, activities, and impact of foreign policy entrepreneurs since the end of the Second World War. In so doing, they show not only that individual members of Congress have long influenced the U.S. foreign policy-making process, but also that the number of foreign policy entrepreneurs has grown over time.

Carter and Scott combine extensive quantitative analysis, interviews with members of Congress and their staff, and case studies of leading foreign policy entrepreneurs, including Frank Church, William Fulbright, Jesse Helms, Edward Kennedy, Pat McCarran, and Curt Weldon. Drawing on their empirical data, the authors identify the key variables in foreign policy entrepreneurship, including membership in the Senate or House, seniority and committee assignments, majority or minority party status, choice of foreign policy issues, and the means used to influence policy. By illuminating the roles and impact of individual members of Congress, Carter and Scott contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the broader U.S. foreign policy-making process.

Contents:

Beyond the White House: bringing Congress into the foreign policy picture

From problem to policy: a theory of Congressional foreign policy entrepreneurship

Surveying the landscape: Congressional foreign policy entrepreneurs since World War II

The rising tide: entrepreneurship in the Cold War consensus period, 1946-1967

Players in the game: entrepreneurship in the cold war dissensus period, 1968-1989

Contending with the thaw: entrepreneurship in the post/Cold War period, 1990-2000

After 9/11: entrepreneurs into the 21st century

Part of the landscape: conclusions on the entrepreneur effect.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [255]-258) and index.

ISBN:

9780822344902

0822344904

9780822345039

082234503X

OCLC:

306802711