Widely regarded as the most comprehensive comparative foreign policy text, Foreign Policy in Comparative Perspective has been completely updated in this much-anticipated second edition. The editors have brought together fifteen top scholars to highlight the importance of both internal and external forces in foreign policymaking. Exploring the foreign policies of thirteen nations—both major and emerging players, and representing all regions of the world—chapter authors link the study of international relations to domestic politics, while treating each nation according to individual histories and contemporary dilemmas.
The book’s accessible theoretical framework is designed to enable comparative analysis, helping students discern patterns to understand why a state acts as it does in foreign affairs. Each of the thirteen country chapters includes: an introduction by the editors to highlight similar developments in other countries; a discussion of the linkages between internal and external factors and implications for the future; coverage of key foreign policy issues; a map to provide geographical context; and a list of suggested readings.
Guided by valuable reviewer feedback, key updates and improvements include:
- completely updated country chapters, including two new chapters on Turkey and Venezuela, further broadening the selection of countries covered; and new authors for many of the country chapters (Brazil, China, France, Germany, Iran, Russia, and South Africa) infusing a richer perspective from noted experts in the field;
- comprehensive coverage of contemporary events and foreign policy responses, including responses to the Arab Spring, the global financial crisis, the global war on terror, and challenges to European integration;
- the incorporation of newer approaches to the study of foreign policy, especially foreign policy analysis, in the introductory chapter, with clearer links back to the theories in each of the country-specific chapters. Each country chapter also features more discussion of the internal and external sources of foreign policy, while larger maps better orient students to geographical context; and
- a completely rewritten concluding chapter helps improve the ‘analytical grip’ of the book.