Table Of ContentFOREIGN
POLICY
DECISION
MAKING
Richard C. Snyder,
H.W. Bruck,
and
Burton Sapin
(REVISITED)
Valerie M. Hudson,
Derek H. Chollet
and
James M. Goldgeier
Foreign Policy Decision-Making (Revisited) ~
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Foreign Poliey Deeision-Making ~
(Revisited)
Richard C Snyder
H. W. Bruck
Burton Sapin
With New Chapters by
Valerie M Hudson
Derek H Chollet and farnes M. Goldgeier
*
FOREIGN POLlCY OECISION-MAKING (REVlSITEO)
Copyright © The Estate of Richard C. Snyder, Valerie M. Hudson,
Derek H. Chollet and James M. Goldgeier, 2002.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any
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quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
First published 2002 by
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ISBN 978-1-4039-6076-4 ISBN 978-0-230-10752-6 (eBook)
DOI 10.1057/9780230107526
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Snyder, Richard Carlton, 1916-
Foreign policy decision-making (revisited) / Richard C. Snyder,
H. W Btuck, Burton Sapin.
p. cm.
Originally published: Foreign policy decision-making. [New York] : Free
Press of Glencoe, [1962]. With new chapters by Valerie M. Hudson, Derek
H. Chollet and James M. Goldgeier.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-1-4039-6076-4 (pbk.)
I. International relations-Decision making. 2. International
relations-Methodology. I. Btuck, H. W. (Henry W.) II. Sapin,
Burton M. III. Tide.
JZ1253.S65 2002
327.J'01-dc21
2002029241
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Design by Leua Libre, Inc.
Transferred to digital printing 2005
First edition: December 2002
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
Contents
Foreword Vll
Burton M Sapin
1. Foreign Poliey Deeision-Making: A Touchstone for International
Relations Theory in the Twenty-First Century
Valerie M. Hudson
2. Decision-Making as an Approach to the Study
of International Polities 21
Richard C. Snyder, H W Bruck, and Burton Sapin
3. The Scholarship of Deeision-Making:
00 We Know How We Decide? 153
Derek H. Chollet and farnes M. Goldgeier
Index 181
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Foreword
Burton M. Sapin
Professor Richard C. Snyder (1916-1997) was one of the leading figures
in the post-World War II revolution in American political science.
This revolution altered in significant ways the conceptual-theoretical
underpinnings, empirical scope and foci, and methodology and research tools
of the field. There can be no doubt that they changed fundamentally what
and how political and governmental phenomena were studied. By no means
everyone welcomed the new approaches, with criticism that scientific claims
and aspirations were excessive that sound familiar today.
That Snyder was at the forefront of seeking to integrate insights from
other disciplines was perhaps not surprising. He was a strong and forceful
academic and intellectualleader and at the same time notably open to hear
ing and encouraging the views and efforts of others. Intellectually curious,
one colleague recalls that he would trawl the stacks of a library seeking out
the literature in other disciplines. As early as 1950 he taught an exciting
graduate seminar on U. S. foreign policy-making, bringing to bear perspec
tives and data from the other social and behavioral sciences, including psy
chology, psychiatry, sociology, and anthropology. A similar pluralism
informed an early course on political behavior Snyder created with his col
league H. Hubert Wilson.
Snyder, like so me of his fellow "behaviorists" in the late 1940s and early
1950s, found essentially unsatisf}ring the leading approaches to the study of
international political phenomena, including the emphasis on national
power and national interests that became dominant immediately after World
War 11. In his view, they were not very helpful in explaining the whys of gov
ernmental behavior. He proposed instead that we define state action as the
viii Burton M. Sapin
behavior of its official decision-makers, thus providing a clear empirical focus
for studying the behavior of nation-states, as weil as other political entities.
Once he broke out of the traditional political science mold of institu
tional description and legal analysis, and even the power approach, he saw
all of the social sciences as relevant to his interests and concerns. Since po
litical science lagged behind the other social sciences theoretically, concep
tually, and methodologically, Dick Snyder had no problem in borrowing
from them. He was quite willing to take the time and make the necessary ef
forts to understand them and to bring their theories, concepts, and data to
bear on political phenomena. His approach was and remained genuinely and
deeply interdisciplinary.
The origins of Foreign Policy Decision-Making lies in Snyder's early at
tempts to broaden the study of international relations and reflects concerns
apparent earlier. Much of the material was initially published in 1954 as a
small monograph, almost a pamphlet, entided Decision-Making as an Ap
proach to the Study of International Politics by the Organizational Behavior
Section at Princeton. At a time when communication was slower, absent e
mail and the Web, but the networks closer, the monograph generated a stir
befitting acha11enge to the received approaches. This monograph was re
published in 1962, with some additional essays, by The Free Press as Foreign
Policy Decision-Making. It is an indication of Snyder's openness that in
cluded in this volume were chapters critical of the arguments we put for
ward. I should note that while Henry Bruck and I did quite a bit of the
organizational work, this monograph was essentially Dick Snyder's work.
Nevertheless, he put all three of oUf names on the publication. This is just
one indication of how supportive he could be of his students and colleagues,
and he treated the former as though they were the latter.
Dick Snyder essentially treated everyone as equals in the search for truth
and understanding. This was not aposture or apose. It was the way he ap
proached the world, with a basic humiliry and a genuine openness to the
ideas and perspectives of others, even while holding very strong views of his
own. He maintained a deep-seated personal and intellectual egalitarianism,
undergirded by a compassionate and respectful approach to almost all of
those with whom he came in contact, believing there should be no barriers
of any kind, personal or intellectual, hierarchical or generational, to the
search for a deeper understanding of the socio-political world around uso
This did not mean that all views have equal validity or significance but
simply that everyone should be approached with respect and others should
displaya willingness to pay attention to the ideas, values, and perspectives
they may articulate. There are differences of viewpoint, some views might be
Foreword IX
more insightful or doser to empirical reality than others, and it is legitimate
to attempt to identif)r the analytical shortcomings and factual errors of oth
ers. Snyder's approach was to encourage others, particularly if they stood
lower in some hierarchical structure, to "do their thing," think their own
thoughts, and engage in productive and creative interaction with you and
with one another. Clearly, this is a stance that would add considerable dar
ity and balance, and improved decisions as well, to the broad realm of pub
lic policy analysis, discussion, and decision-making.
Skeptics will point out that all of this openness to the views and ideas of
others may me an that decisions never get made, or may give the impression
that all opinions are entitled to equal weight and respect. Anything is possi
ble, but neither of these shortcomings is part of the Snyder heritage. Dick
Snyder had strong and well-defined views on a broad range of academic, in
stitutional, social-scientific, and political science issues, and on matters of
personal behavior and ethics as well, and he pursued and attempted to im
plement them vigorously and persistently. All while maintaining respect for
others.
As scholar, mentor, and administrator, Snyder's approach influenced a
substantial number of students and other colleagues (and anyone else open
to this kind of personal and intellectual support) in a number of academic
fields and disciplines-in stimulating, encouraging, and liberating their tal
ents, values, and ideas. It is comforting to realize that many of these benefi
ciaries of the Snyder approach have in turn brought it to bear on others, and
that the republication of Foreign Policy Decision-Making is here comple
mented by two new chapters examining its impact, implications, and po
tential for future research. Snyder's approach, both personal and intellectual,
stands as a model. 1 It is a legacy that should be encouraged and sustained.
NOTE
1. For a tribute to Richard Snyder, see Glenn D. Paige and James A. Robinson
in PS Oune 1998), available at http://www.apsanet.org/PS/june98/snyder.cfm.
