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U.S. Foreign Policy
The Paradox of World Power

Fifth Edition


520 pages | CQ Press
The same aspects of American government and society that propelled the United States to global primacy have also hampered its orderly and successful conduct of foreign policy. This paradox challenges U.S. leaders to overcome threats to America's world power in the face of fast-moving global developments and political upheavals at home. This fully updated Fifth Edition of Steven W. Hook’s respected text explores this paradox, identifies its key sources and manifestations, and considers its future implications as it asks whether U.S. foreign policymakers can manage these dynamics in a manner that preserves U.S. primacy.
 
PART I. The Setting of U.S. Foreign Policy
 
Chapter 1: The United States in a Turbulent World
Snapshot: America’s World Power

 
Challenges to U.S. Primacy

 
The Paradox of America’s World Power

 
Conclusion

 
 
Chapter 2: The Expansion of U.S. Power
Economic and Territorial Expansion

 
Fighting Two World Wars

 
Global Primacy and the Cold War

 
New Challenges after the Cold War

 
Conclusion

 
 
Chapter 3: Dynamics of Decision Making
The Global Context: Rival Perspectives

 
Opening the “Black Box” of Domestic Politics

 
The Impact of Civil Society

 
Coping with Bureaucratic Politics

 
The Human Factor

 
Conclusion

 
 
PART II. Inside-Out: Government Sources of Foreign Policy
 
Chapter 4: Presidential Power
The Constitution’s Mixed Blessing

 
Presidential Prerogative in the “Zone of Twilight”

 
Structures of the “Presidential Branch”

 
Judicial Interventions in Foreign Policy

 
Conclusion

 
 
Chapter 5: Congress beyond the “Water’s Edge”
Trends in Legislative-Executive Relations

 
Constraints on Congressional Action

 
Legislating Foreign Policy

 
War Powers and the Use of Force

 
The Power of the Purse

 
Conclusion

 
 
Chapter 6: The Foreign Policy Bureaucracy
Agency Dysfunctions and the Paradox of World Power

 
The Diplomatic Complex

 
The Security Complex

 
The Intelligence Complex

 
The Economic Complex

 
Conclusion

 
 
PART III. Outside-In: External Sources of Foreign Policy
 
Chapter 7: Public Opinion at Home and Abroad
Democracy and the Paradox of World Power

 
Public Opinion since World War II

 
Group Identities and Foreign Policy Views

 
Conclusion

 
 
Chapter 8: The Impact of Mass Communications
Functions of the News Media

 
Patterns of Foreign News Coverage

 
Government Efforts to Control the Message

 
The Social Media Revolution

 
Online News and Views from Overseas

 
Conclusion

 
 
Chapter 9: Social Movements and Interest Groups
Group Action and the Paradox

 
Dynamics of Social Movements

 
Types of Foreign Policy NGOs

 
Group Strategies and Tactics

 
Buying Power: The Corporate Connection

 
Conclusion

 
 
PART IV. Policy Domains
 
Chapter 10: National Security and Defense Policy
The Foundation of Strategy

 
Justifying the Use of Force

 
The Nuclear Shadow

 
Waging War on Terror

 
Conclusion

 
 
Chapter 11: Economic Statecraft
Models of Political Economy

 
The Balance of Economic Power

 
Trade Policy as a “Two-Level Game”

 
National Interests and Foreign Aid

 
Economic Sanctions as a Policy Tool

 
Conclusion

 
 
Chapter 12: Transnational Policy Problems
Managing the Global Commons

 
The Immigration Debate

 
The Dangers of Weapons Proliferation

 
Promoting Human Rights and Democracy

 
Signs of a More Peaceful World

 
Conclusion

 

Supplements

Student Study Site

SAGE edge offers a robust online environment featuring an impressive array of tools and resources for review, study, and further exploration, keeping both instructors and students on the cutting edge of teaching and learning. SAGE edge content is open access and available on demand. Learning and teaching has never been easier!


SAGE edge
for Students provides a personalized approach to help students accomplish their coursework goals in an easy-to-use learning environment and features elements such as:
  • Mobile-friendly eFlashcards which strengthen understanding of key terms and concepts
  • Mobile-friendly practice quizzes that allow for independent assessment by students of their mastery of course material
  • An online action plan includes tips and feedback on progress through the course and materials, which allows students to individualize their learning experience
  • Chapter summaries with learning objectives that reinforce the most important material
  • Carefully selected video and multimedia content that enhance exploration of key topics
Instructor Resources Site

SAGE edge for Instructors, supports teaching by making it easy to integrate quality content and create a rich learning environment for students.

  • Test banks built on Bloom’s Taxonomy to provide a diverse range of test items.
  • Editable, chapter-specific PowerPoint® slides offer complete flexibility for creating a multimedia presentation for the course
  • Video and multimedia content that enhance student engagement and appeal to different learning styles
  • Instructor manual which summarize key concepts by chapter to ease preparation for lectures and class discussions
  • A set of all the graphics from the text, including all of the maps, tables, and figures, is available in PowerPoint, pdf, and JPEG formats for class presentations
  • A transition guide provides a chapter-by-chapter outline of key changes to the fifth edition

 “U.S. Foreign Policy: The Paradox of World Power is one of the most complete and comprehensive introductions to U.S. foreign policy available. It is well-written for a student audience, and I am impressed with just how comprehensive it is. Students who read this book will have a superb introduction to American foreign policy and how it is studied.”

Steven Livingston
Middle Tennessee State University

“Hook’s text is one of the leading foreign policy textbooks precisely because of its overall structure, approach, and balance of detail that supports the overarching theme—the paradox of power. Each edition improves on the last, providing students with a clear introduction to U.S. foreign policy.”

Peter H. Loedel
West Chester University

“Each time I teach the U.S. foreign policy course and use Hook’s book, students really read it. The writing style is clear and accessible, and students have even commented on the helpfulness of graphics. All in all, I continue to use U.S. Foreign Policy: The Paradox of World Power because my students respond to it so well.”

Linda Adams
Baylor University

Perfect text for understanding mechanisms of U.S. foreign policy making (actually it's one of two my crucial texts for the moment). Really great companion website.

Dr Marcin Grabowski
Political Science and International Relations, Jagiellonian University
March 17, 2016

Sample Materials & Chapters

Chapter 1


Steven Wallace Hook

Steven W. Hook (1959-2022) was professor of political science at Kent State University. In addition to this book, he was co-author of American Foreign Policy Since World War II (CQ Press, 2019, 21st ed., with John Spanier) and author of National Interest and Foreign Aid (Lynne Rienner, 1995). His edited books include U.S. Foreign Policy Today: American Renewal? (CQ Press, 2012, with James M. Scott), the Routledge Handbook of American Foreign Policy (Routledge Press, 2012, with Christopher M. Jones), and Democratic Peace in Theory and Practice (Kent State University Press, 2010). His journal articles have appeared in World... More About Author

Also available as a South Asia Edition.