The sources of foreign policy: The Carter administration and NATO nuclear forces, 1977-80
The Carter administration entered office committed to the goal of reducing the United States; dependence on nuclear weaponry. This was especially clear in the administration's initial policy towards NATO and the defense of Western Europe. In retrospect, however, what is striking is the degree to which nuclear forces and strategy dominated the Carter administration's policymaking efforts regarding NATO. Decisions about enhanced radiation warheads (or neutron bombs) and long-range theater nuclear forces (ground-launched cruise missiles and Pershing 2 ballistic missiles) created divisions within the alliance and complicated the administration's attempts to control domestic debate over its foreign and defense policies. How did this reversal of emphasis occur Most examinations of this policy change have focused on the existence of a new Soviet threat to Europe or the alliance politics of NATO to explain the dramatic turnabout in American policy. This thesis argues that a close examination of US domestic political factors significantly enhances our understanding of why the Carter administration arrived at the policy decisions it made concerning US theater nuclear forces in Europe.
- Research Organization:
- Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 5637167
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Thesis (Ph.D.)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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