News Release

US executive branch drives foreign policy

Peer-Reviewed Publication

Wiley

Bakersfield, CA – November 5, 2008 – A new study in the journal International Studies Perspectives examines U.S. foreign policy towards three Middle Eastern states and finds that the executive branch is often the driving force in foreign policy. Also, U.S. foreign policies tend to be reciprocal in nature.

Rachel Bzostek, Ph.D., and Samuel B. Robison, M.A. conducted a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the influences on U.S. foreign policy toward Israel, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia from 1981 to 2004.

Results show that the executive branch is the primary force driving policy towards those Middle Eastern states. Congress may seek to influence or mold policy and oftentimes does in significant ways. However, its ability to truly direct policy is limited.

Also, the policies engaged in by the U.S. tend to be reciprocal in nature. More often than not, the United States tends to "reward" states that adopt policies the U.S. likes and "punish" states that engage in behaviors disapproved of by the U.S.

"Because U.S. foreign policy tends to be reciprocal, in order to understand the specific foreign policy choices of one administration, we must examine events that came before the decision in question – in other words, context matters," the authors conclude.

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This study is published in the November 2008 issue of International Studies Perspectives. Media wishing to receive a PDF of this article may contact journalnews@bos.blackwellpublishing.net.

Rachel Bzostek is affiliated with California State University and can be reached for questions at rbzostek@csub.edu.

International Studies Perspectives (ISP) publishes articles that bridge the interests of researchers, teachers, and practitioners working within any and all subfields of international studies.

Wiley-Blackwell was formed in February 2007 as a result of the acquisition of Blackwell Publishing Ltd. by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., and its merger with Wiley's Scientific, Technical, and Medical business. Together, the companies have created a global publishing business with deep strength in every major academic and professional field. Wiley-Blackwell publishes approximately 1,400 scholarly peer-reviewed journals and an extensive collection of books with global appeal. For more information on Wiley-Blackwell, please visit www.wiley-blackwell.com or http://interscience.wiley.com.


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