Alternative perspectives in explaining the conduct of us foreign policy : a historical-critical view of decision-making models

Abstract EN

Objective : This paper investigates the contradictions in the decision-making process of the United States, which historically proven to be successful policies in the short term, but in the long term proven to be wanting and failure.

Methodology : The paper uses descriptive, historical, comparative method.

Also, the paper proposes four models to examine the decision-making process and how it differs in the short term and the long term.

The models are : 1.

Individual and rational model (Model I) ; 2.

Organizational and groupthink model (Model II) ; 3.

Governmental and bureaucratic model (Model III) ; 4.

Communication and information model (Model IV).

Results : the study shows that Models I and IV are among the major explanatory factors for the failure of the US decision-making process in the long term.

Conclusion : the study concludes that there is contradictions in the decision-making process of the United States in the long term versus the short term, the proposed four models, previously mentioned, show that Models I and IV that could speak to such contradiction and failure in the short term.

However, synthesizing all of the models is critical in understanding and explaining the conduct of the US decision-making process.