Foreign Policy Analysis: Classic and Contemporary Theory - Tapa dura

This readable and insightful treatise on foreign policy theory draws together strands from several schools of foreign policy research united by a common focus on the decision-making processes within states. Students will find this book highly useful in analyzing the complex configurations of agents that shape the political universe of the twenty-first century. -- Stephen G. Walker, Arizona State University Valerie Hudson forcefully demonstrates the necessity of engaging in foreign policy analysis grounded in human decision making as the foundation for theory-building in international politics. To build her case she mines critical insights from over a half century of scholarship. New students and seasoned professionals will find her bold integrative perspective both provocative and instructive. -- Charles F. Hermann, George Bush School of Government and Public Service, Texas A&M University A powerful analysis of literature, assumptions, and concepts that will be useful to students at undergraduate and graduate levels in history, political science, and international relations. -- Marie Hooper, Oklahoma City University This is a compelling and rewarding book that makes one wonder why it was not written years ago. Using an explicit conceptualization, rich detail, and a wide range of historical illustrations to depict an analytic focus that has preoccupied observers for a long time, Hudson has done a masterful job of synthesizing diverse materials that will be of great value in both the classroom and policymaking circles. -- James N. Rosenau, The George Washington University

A second edition of this book is now available. Foreign Policy Analysis is the first textbook to gear foreign policy analysis (FPA) theory toward advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students. Beginning with an overview of this broad field of study, the book's subsequent chapters tackle theory and research at multiple levels of analysis, ending with examination of the areas in which the next generation of foreign policy analysts can make important contributions to the field.