Understanding Foreign Policy Decision Making

This book presents a psychological approach to foreign policy decision making. This approach focuses on the decision process, dynamics, and outcome.

Alex Mintz (Author), Karl DeRouen Jr (Author)

9780521876452, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 8 March 2010

224 pages, 4 b/w illus. 13 tables
23.4 x 15.6 x 1.4 cm, 0.49 kg

'… Understanding Foreign Policy Decision Making … is a tour d'horizon of foreign policy-making analysis that offers valuable insights into the complex world of decision-making processes, with many case studies attuned to the theoretical and conceptual frameworks presented in the book … Mintz and DeRouen present a meticulous and excellent study of FPDM processes that should be essential reading for students, scholars of IR and kingmakers.' Tuncay Karda?, Perceptions: Journal of International Affairs

Understanding Foreign Policy Decision Making presents a psychological approach to foreign policy decision making. This approach focuses on the decision process, dynamics, and outcome. The book includes a wealth of extended real-world case studies and examples that are woven into the text. The cases and examples, which are written in an accessible style, include decisions made by leaders of the United States, Israel, New Zealand, Cuba, Iceland, United Kingdom, and others. In addition to coverage of the rational model of decision making, levels of analysis of foreign policy decision making, and types of decisions, the book includes extensive material on alternatives to the rational choice model, the marketing and framing of decisions, cognitive biases, and domestic, cultural, and international influences on decision making in international affairs. Existing textbooks do not present such an approach to foreign policy decision making, international relations, American foreign policy, and comparative foreign policy.

Part I. Introduction: 1. Why study foreign policy from a decision making perspective?
Part II. The Decision Environment: 2. Types of decisions and levels of analysis in foreign policy decision making
3. Biases in decision making
Part III. Models of Decision Making: 4. The rational actor model
5. Alternatives to the rational actor model
Part IV. Determinants of Foreign Policy Decision Making: 6. Psychological factors shaping foreign policy decisions
7. International, domestic and cultural factors influencing foreign policy decision making
Part V. Marketing Foreign Policy: 8. Marketing, framing and media effects in foreign policy decision making
Part VI. Conclusion: 9. Conclusion: wrapping things up
Appendix: an applied decision analysis exercise and simulation.

Subject Areas: International relations [JPS], Comparative politics [JPB], Politics & government [JP]