Decisionmaking in a Glass House: Mass Media, Public Opinion, and American and European Foreign Policy in the 21st Century [Paperback]

No longer preoccupied with the East-West divide, contemporary foreign policymakers now have to confront regional conflicts, peace-enforcing and humanitarian missions, and a host of other global problems and issues in areas such as trade, health, and the environment. During the Cold War a widely-shared consensus on national interest and security in the United States and western Europe affected news reporting, public opinion, and foreign policy. But with the end of this Cold War frame of reference, foreign policy making has changed. As we enter the new century, the question is how and to what extent will the new realities of the post-Cold War world_as well as advances in communication technology_influence news reporting, public attitudes, and, most of all, foreign policy decisions on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. In this volume, American and European scholars examine change and continuity in these important aspects of the foreign policy process at the beginning of the 21st century.Brigitte L. Nacos is adjunct professor of political science at Columbia University. Robert Y. Shapiro is professor of political science at Columbia University. Pierangelo Isernia is professor of Italian political systems at the University of Siena.

This is an excellent volume on the interactions among public attitudes, media behavior, and foreign policy. It is full of interesting insights and provocations from some of the best scholars and critics in the field, and it helps to illuminate the complex dynamics of postCold War media and opinion politics. Susan Herbst, Northwestern University

Each essay is a substantive treatment of its topic. Many of the eighteen essays are valuable individually. Contemporary Sociology

These essays . . . provide important insights and raise provocative questions that will prove essential as a foundation upon which other scholars will base their research. American Political Science Review

A good candidate forlC2