Congress and Foreign Policy

The Academy convened a meeting of political scientists specializing in U.S. foreign policy and those studying Congress to examine the impact of Congress on U.S. conduct of foreign affairs. At a 1990 workshop in Columbus, Ohio, participants explored the budget process, the budget and defense policy, the congressional role in foreign economic policy and the use of force, the changing congressional role in the practice of diplomacy, and the capacity of Congress to initiate foreign policy and set national priorities. The resulting essays focus on how Congress handles foreign policy and the impact Congress has on specific domains of foreign policy.