Decisions and Dilemmas

This book's unique combination of case studies and commentaries provides the basis for a systematic discussion of the role of individual leaders and complex institutions in U.S. foreign policy making. The case studies present routine and urgent controversial and consensus-driven decisions in nine presidential administrations--from Harry Truman's decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan in 1945 to George W. Bush's responses to international terrorism in the wake of 9/11. Each chapter includes essential background information a chronology of events and primary source documents. Through all these elements even students with little or no background in history will gain a new understanding of how presidents institutions and issues all shape American foreign policy.