In recent years there has been a growing interest in the relationship between public opinion and foreign policy in Western democracies. This has resulted in a challenge to some of the conclusions reached during the 1950s and 1960s regarding the volatility of public opinion, the coherence of political beliefs and the impact of public opinion on policy making. However, the debate to date has been limited by a focus on American rather than European public opinion and foreign policy; a primary concern with the opinion-policy connection during the Cold War; and scholarly neglect of the crucial role played by casualties and casualty-related issues in the calculations of decision makers and the support of mass opinion regarding the international use of force. Public Opinion and the International Use of Force addresses these overlooked issues and fills a gap in current scholarship. Its international contributors use comparative studies to offer analyses based on a wide range of countries. Through this analysis, the book examines the ways in which the relationship between public opinion and the use of military force has developed since the end of the Cold War.
In doing so, it also addresses the crucial and topical question of whether and to what extent a democratic foreign policy is desirable or possible. This book is stimulating and invaluable reading for students, scholars and practitioners interested in Foreign Policy, Public Policy, Public Opinion and International Relations.