Michael H. Armacost

Ballots, Bullets, And Bargains Michael H. Armacost

Commendation Quotes: Solidly researched and well written, " Ballots, Bullets, and Bargains" tackles a topic that has attracted a lot of off-the-cuff commentary, but little in the way of sustained analysis, namely, the interaction of the electoral cycle and presidential foreign policy decision-making. Armacost ably mines an array of sources to to wrestle to the ground a relationship that is ungainly and difficult to track."Review Quotes: Michael H. Armacost has created a detailed history of post-World War II American foreign policy, organized and interpreted in the phases of our presidential election process. His insights about the dynamic interplay between campaign politics and foreign policy do not reassure that the world's major power can produce leaders with the vision and experience to effectively manage America's international engagement. Yet despite political dysfunction, our presidents have shown skill in learning on the job and using our substantial national resources in the service of the security and international interests of the United States.--Richard H. Solomon, former director of policy planning and assistant secretary of state, former president of the United States Institute of Peace, and senior fellow at the RAND CorporationMarc Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index. Commendation Quotes: Solidly researched and well written, "Ballots, Bullets, and Bargain"s tackles a topic that has attracted a lot of off-the-cuff commentary, yet little in the way of sustained analysis--the interaction of the electoral cycle and presidential foreign policy decision making. Michael H. Armacost ably mines an array of sources to clarify a relationship that is ungainly and difficult to track. Biographical Note: Michael H. Armacost is the Shorenstein Distinguished Fellow at Stanford University's Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center. In addition to having held senior positions at the Defense Department and on the National Security Council staff, he served as undersecretary of state for political affairs and as U. S. ambassador to the Philippines and Japan. He was president of the Brookings Institution from 1995 to 2002. He has received the President's Distinguished Service Award, the Defense Department's Distinguished Civilian Service Award, the Secretary of State's Distinguished Service Award, and the Japanese government's Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun. He is the author of "Friends or Rivals? The Insider's Account of U. S.-Japan Relations" and "The Politics of Weapons Innovation: The Thor-Jupiter Controversy."Table of Contents: Introduction1. Elections, Parties, and Politics2. Quest for the Nomination: Appealing to the Base3. Campaigns: Opportunities and Challenges for Incumbents4. Campaigns: Opportunities and Obstacles for Challengers5. Presidential Transitions6. Launching a Presidential TermConclusionNotesIndexReview Quotes: Drawing on careful study as well as his own rich experience as a diplomat, Michael H. Armacost offers unique and nuanced insights. This is a superb discussion of U. S. foreign policy in the context of presidential politics since the elections of 1948. With less than two years to go before our next presidential contest, this is an especially timely and thoughtful read.--John Negroponte, former deputy secretary of statePublisher Marketing: Drawing on twenty-four years of experience in government, Michael H. Armacost describes how the presidential election system affects the content and conduct of American foreign policy. He analyzes how the nomination battle impels candidates to accommodate the foreign policy DNA of the party faithful and may force an incumbent to undertake wholesale policy adjustments to fend off an intra-party challenge. He examines the way reelection campaigns can prod a chief executive to fix long-neglected problems, duck intractable policy dilemmas, or settle for modest course corrections, underscoring both the virtues and the shortcomings of the U. S. presidential election system in influencing the management of foreign challenges. Armacost begins "Ballots, Bullets, and Bargains" with the quest for the presidential nomination and then moves through the general election campaign, the ten-week transition period between Election Day and Inauguration Day, and the early months of a new administration. He notes that campaigns rarely illuminate the tough strategic choices that the leader of the nation must make, and he provides rare insight into the challenge during a transition of aligning the roles of an outgoing incumbent (who retains formal authority despite ebbing power) and an incoming president (who performs no formal duties though possesses a fresh political mandate). He pays particular attention to the pressure for new presidents to act boldly abroad, even before a national security team is in place, decision-making procedures are set, or policy priorities are established. Review Citations:

Publishers Weekly 06/08/2015 (EAN 9780231169929, Hardcover)

Contributor Bio:  Armacost, Michael H Michael H. Armacost, President of the Brookings Institution, was Ambassador to Japan (1989-1993), Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs (1984-1989), and Ambassador to the Philippines (1982-1984). He has held teaching posts at georgetown, John Hopkins, and Stanford universities, among others, and is the author of "The Polotics of Weapons Innovation" (Columbia), "The Foreign Relations of the United States," and "Reflections on U. S.-Soviet Relations."