Democracy & diplomacy : the impact of domestic politics on U.S. foreign policy, 1789-1994 / Melvin Small.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 171-192) and index.

1. Establishing a Tradition, 1789-1895 -- 2. The Progressive Era, 1895-1920 -- 3. From War to War, 1920-1944 -- 4. The Cold War's Darkest Days, 1944-1960 -- 5. The World Becomes More Complicated, 1960-1980 -- 6. An Emerging New World Order, 1980-1994 -- Conclusion: Democracy and Foreign Policy: A Balance Sheet.

From the Hamiltonian-Jeffersonian split over English and French policy in the 1790s to the Republican-Democratic clash over Haitian policy in the 1990s. Americans and foreign observers have been troubled - and often exasperated - by the extraordinary influence of U.S. domestic politics on matters of vital national security. Some critics, including Alexis de Tocqueville, concluded that America's democratic system would cripple the effective and efficient conduct of its foreign policy.

In this first historical overview of the subject, Melvin Small examines the central role of domestic politics in the shaping and conduct of American foreign policy from the early republic to the end of the Cold War. While accounting for various factors such as special interest groups (including agriculture and business) public opinion the media elections and party politics, and executive-legislative conflicts.