Synopses & Reviews
American foreign policy, governmental institutions, and the public's sense of internal and external security are undergoing significant changes. The Bush Administration's remaking of American foreign policy through an emphasis on a preemptive, first strike, doctrine is an important change, since policy is based on intentions and state and non-state actors--downplaying the advantages of multilateralism. Parallel to this change in external action is its attempt to build an internal security apparatus that will likely result in the significant contraction of civil liberties. These policy shifts challenge the very fundamentals of American political life and the perception of the U.S. throughout the world. This volume brings together leading scholars to ask the important questions, provide trenchant analyses, and examine the potential implications of ongoing changes in American domestic and international politics.
Review
"Preemption and prevention are age-old instruments of statecraft that have acquired new relevance after 9/11 and the U.S. war in Iraq.
Striking First provides a variety of expert perspectives on the role of preemption and prevention in the evolution of U.S. strategic doctrine, the internal political struggles that shaped that doctrine, the impact of these changes on American presidential power and legal processes, and their ramifications for the international order and the limits of American power. One cannot comprehend our rapidly changing world without understanding these international and domestic processes, and
Striking First provides timely and penetrating insights on these critical subjects."
--Jack S. Levy, Rutgers University
"The alarmed contributors to this book recognize that America's strategic doctrine stands at a critical turning point with far-reaching future implications. One need not agree with all the arguments advanced by the authors to this most timely volume to recognize they tap into vital questions on preemptive war. The volume should contribute importantly to the needed public debate among everyone concerned with thre role of the United States in world affairs."--Charles F. Hermann, Texas A&M University
Synopsis
How have the September 11th terrorist attacks and the subsequent U.S. led war on terrorism impacted American foreign policy at home and abroad? The consistent theme throughout this collection of essays is that September 11th was a watershed event, which sparked a redefinition and reassessment of U.S. foreign policy, governmental institutions, and the public's sense of internal and external security. The Bush Administration's endeavor to remake American foreign policy with an emphasis on a preemptive, first strike doctrine and its attempt to build an internal security apparatus are not only consequential in the war on terrorism, such efforts are challenging the very fundamentals of American political life and its perception throughout the world.
Synopsis
A comprehensive and diverse examination of the domestic and international context and implications of the recent changes in American foreign policy
Synopsis
The Bush administration's emphasis on a preemptive first strike doctrine,along with its resort to unilateral decision making and commitment to sustaining US hegemony in the world, has challenged the very fundamentals of both the world political order and American political institutions. In this work, leading American scholars explore how these policies have been made, the premises upon which they are based, and their possible consequences for
US domestic institutions and its position in the world. The workconcludes with analyses of the changing US relationship to the European Union and the United Nation nations, while offering different perspectives on the necessity of and the prospects for the new American empire.
About the Author
Chris J. Dolan is Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of Central Florida.
Betty Glad is the Olin D. Johnston Professor of Political Science, University of South Carolina.
Table of Contents
Part I: The Political Impact of 9/11 and Wars Against Rogue Regimes * Foreign Policy on the Offensive--Chris J. Dolan * The Ascendancy of Vice President Dick Cheney--Jack Lechelt * The Mainstream Opposition's Reaction and the Roots of the Washington Treat Consensus--Jacques E.C. Hymans * Can Tyrants be Deterred?-- * Betty Glad * The US and. Iraq: American Bull in a Middle East China Shop--Clement Henry * Counter-terrorism and the Perils of Preemption--David Tucker *
Part II: Domestic Repercussions: Beurocratic and Legal * Organizing for Homeland Security in Post 9/11 America--David B. Cohen and Alethia Cooke* The Political and Legal Status of Persons in the War on Terrorism--Drew Noble Lanier *
Part III: Broader Impact * Expansion of the President's War Powers--Louis Fisher * George W. Bush and Presidential Leadership--Michael Genovese * American public Opinion on Foreign Policy, Pre and Post-Deptember 11--Ole R. Holsti * The UN and the Legal Status of Preemptive and Preventive War--Roger Coate * Transatlantic Relations at the Turn of the 21st Century--Donald Puchala *
Part IV: The American Empire in Perspective * The Prospects for American Hegemony--Robert Jervis * The Limits of Empire--Betty Glad