What are the factors that shape and determine the foreign policy choices of the United States? The Politics of United States Foreign Policy helps students consider the players, processes, and politics that drive US decisions and involvement in foreign policy. Blending substance, theory, and stimulating analysis, James Scott and Jerel Rosati emphasize that society, government, and global forces play a role in the struggle over competing values when it comes to foreign policymaking. The book discusses historical patterns, the president’s ability to influence both at home and abroad, and the tension between democracy and national security. 


The Eighth Edition has been updated to cover developments since the end of the Trump administration, the transition to the Biden administration, the challenges of changing international and domestic contexts, and the increasingly partisan political environment. It also incorporates key recent national and international developments, including the global pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, US global reengagement, and competition between the US and key rivals like China and Russia.