Democracy and Foreign Policy: The Fallacy of Political Realism

By Miroslav Nincic

Book Overview

Democracy and Foreign Policy: The Fallacy of Political Realism challenges the belief that liberal democracy is incompatible with a wise and effective foreign policy. Miroslav Nincic demonstrates that if any such incompatibility exists, it is rooted in the incentives of professional politicians rather than in the impulses that drive the public and its legislative representatives. When we look at the intersection of U.S. domestic political arrangements and the nation's foreign policy, our gaze is often misdirected by erroneous and often harmful assumptions about the appropriate domestic setting for the conduct of foreign affairs. First, Nincic focuses on the effect of democratic practices and institutions on the efficacy and wisdom of international dealings, especially with rival nations. Nincic next examines the pursuit and consequences on some of the central aspects of our democracy, including the balance of power between the executive and legislative branches, civil liberties, and government openness. A challenge to political realists' contention that democracy impedes the sound conduct of foreign policy, Democracy and Foreign Policy will be of particular interest to scholars and policymakers in international relations, U.S. foreign policy, and diplomatic history.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0231076681
• ISBN13: 9780231076685
• Release Date: April 1992
• Publisher: Columbia University Press
• Length: 214 Pages
• Weight: 1.01 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"
• Age Range: 22 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher