U.S. Foreign Policy: The Paradox of World Power

by Steven W. Hook

For Hook (political science, Kent State U.) the paradox of US power is that its sources—"a culturally embedded sense of national exceptionalism, the diffusion of domestic foreign-policy powers, and the free rein granted to civil society in the foreign policy process"—have become sources of vulnerability as well, prompting an incoherency in foreign policy. He attempts to explain how these factors have impacted the process of policy formation and the results in the policy domains of national security and defense policy, economic statecraft, and other transnational policy problems. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics

564 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Nora Winckler · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was something worse

[Roy McCullough · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent and accessible textbook that gets the job done.

[Warnie Pritchett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clear and concise, "U.S. Foreign Policy: The Paradox of World Power" is a great introductory text that educates the reader on the challenges of establishing foreign policy in an increasingly globalized world and an increasingly partisan American polity. Stephen W. Hook keeps the readers engaged with real world (and frequently updated) information and how elements of public policy shapes the global view of American primacy. A solid read for anyone interested in Political Science.

One star docked for occasional, awkward, content repetition that occasionally derailed points being made in the text. Total text pages minus references, appendices, and glossary: 417.

[Omair Tariq · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book mainly discusses the process of foreign policy making and what factors play role in formulation of U.S. foreign policies. The book is not either a critique or support of American foreign policy but it basically talks about the process of policy development. Book is good for anyone interested in foreign affairs and gives a good insight about how foreign policies are made.

[Miranda · Rating 3 out of 5]

PLS 312: U.S. Foreign Policy