Competing to shape U.S. foreign policy, many actors—from the president and members  of Congress to interest groups, NGOs, and the media—influence policy outcomes and subsequent implementation. In this new fourth edition, editor Ralph G. Carter captures this strategic interplay with 15 real-world cases; four brand-new cases examine the global financial crisis, U.S.-Russian relations, Somali pirates, and the U.S. economic embargo against Cuba. Fully updated, all cases have been revised to reflect recent world events, including new Obama administration policies.

Whether grappling with renewed pressure to reform U.S. immigration laws  or with a multilateral approach to North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, the case method encourages readers to question motives, consider alternatives, and analyze outcomes. Each case is consistently structured with a list  of “before you begin” questions, which help bring key issues into focus; introductory and background sections for context; a timeline of important events; and a descriptive list of key actors.

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1. The U.S. vs. Terrorism: From the Embassy Bombings in Tanzania and Kenya to the surge in Afghanistan
Frederick Gagnon and Ryan C. Hendrickson
2. The Return of the Imperial Presidency? The Bush Doctrine and U.S. Intervention in Iraq
Jeffrey S. Lantis and Eric Moskowitz
3. Columbia and U.S. Foreign Policy: Coca, Security, and Human Rights
Jennifer S. Holmes
4. The Nuclear Standoff between the U.S. and Iran: Seeking a Diplomatic Path through a Minefield of Mutual Distrust
Thomas Preston and Michael P. Infranco
5. The U.S. and Korea: Avoiding a Worst-Case Scenario
Patrick James and Ozgur Ozdamar
6. Hitting the Reset Button: Changing the Direction of U.S.-Russian Relations?
Ralph G. Carter and James M. Scott
7. Confronting Somali Pirates: New Solutions to Old Challenges?
Peter Lehr
8. National Security Surveillance: Unchecked or Limited Presidential Power?
Louis Fisher
9. Immigration Policy: U.S.-Mexican Relations Confront U.S. Political Realities
Marc R. Rosenblum
10. The Global Financial Crisis: Governments, Banks, and Markets
Thomas D. Lairson
11. Why Do We Still Have an Embargo of Cuba?
Patrick J. Haney
12. U.S.-China Trade Relations: Privatizing Foreign Policy
Stephen W. Hook and Franklin Barr Lebo 
13. The Politics of Climate Change: A Consensus for Copenhagen?
Rodger A. Payne and Sean Payne
14. The ICC: National Interests vs. International Norms,
Donald W. Jackson and Ralph G. Carter
15. The Rights of Detainees: Determining the Limits of Law
Linda Cornett and Mark Gibney

The remarkable value of this new set of cases stems from the author’s abilities to connect recent major world events to critical enduring issues. They highlight the foundation elements that every student needs in order to understand foreign policy. These cases offer an excellent means of introducing experiential learning. - Charles Hermann, Texas A&M University

Ralph Carter's case book is one of the best resources I have to relate theory to contemporary politics. Updated on a regular basis, he focuses on the most current issues with full explanations of all the major elements. Students not only get a handle on modern international politics, but have the opportunity to develop their own positions on these issues. The additional instructor material is a great benefit letting me focus more on the teaching points then on the presentation. - Michael Kanner, University of Colorado

When I teach American Foreign Policy, I want a blend of interesting controversies and varying perspectives. Carter’s Contemporary Cases in U.S. Foreign Policy provides this and then some. Carter has a knack for picking the optimal mix of cases for the most important issues for the US today: intervention, the challenge of proliferators (separate chapters on North Korea and Iran are most useful), immigration, Presidential power, great power relations (China and Russia), and the great global recession. - Steve Saideman, McGill University

Ralph G. Carter is professor and chair of the political science department at Texas Christian University. His research interests focus on U.S. foreign, trade, and defense policies and on the domestic sources of such policymaking, with particular attention on the role of Congress. He is coauthor with James Scott of Choosing to Lead: Understanding Congressional Foreign Policy Entrepreneurs (forthcoming) and with John Rourke and Mark Boyer of Making American Foreign Policy. In 2006, he received the Quincy Wright Distinguished Scholar Award from the Midwest Region of the International Studies Association. Currently, he is one of the editors of the ISA journal Foreign Policy Analysis and has previously served ISA as president of its Midwest Region, president of its Foreign Policy Analysis Section, and as a member of its Executive Committee and Governing Council. He has also served as a member of the program committee of the American Political Science Association. His PhD is from the Ohio State University.

INSTRUCTOR’S RESOURCES

include an instructor’s manual that covers the nuts and bolts of case-based teaching, as well as case-specific entries, written by the contributors, for analyzing and discussing each of the cases. Each case entry includes a summary, set of “before you begin” questions, list of major actors, themes for class discussion that tie the case to the larger context of US foreign policy, test questions, and a list of books and articles for further research. Go to http://ccusfp.cqpress.com/ to register.