International sporting events, including the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup, have experienced profound growth in popularity and significance since the mid-twentieth century. Sports often facilitate diplomacy, revealing common interests across borders and uniting groups of people who are otherwise divided by history, ethnicity, or politics. In many countries, popular athletes have become diplomatic envoys. Sport is an arena in which international conflict and compromise find expression, yet the impact of sports on foreign relations has not been widely studied by scholars.

In Diplomatic Games, a team of international scholars examines how the nexus of sport and foreign relations has driven political and cultural change since 1945, demonstrating how governments have used athletic competition to maintain and strengthen alliances, promote policies, and increase national prestige. The contributors investigate topics such as China''s use of sports to oppose Western imperialism, the ways in which sports helped bring an end to apartheid in South Africa, and the impact of the United States'' 1980 Olympic boycott on U.S.-Soviet relations. Bringing together innovative scholarship from around the globe, this groundbreaking collection makes a compelling case for the use of sport as a lens through which to view international relations.

The Vietnam War has been analyzed, dissected, and debated from multiple perspectives for decades, but domestic considerations -- such as partisan politics and election-year maneuvering -- are often overlooked as determining factors in the evolution and outcome of America''s longest war.

In Vietnam''s Second Front: Domestic Politics, the Republican Party, and the War, Andrew L. Johns assesses the influence of the Republican Party -- its congressional leadership, politicians, grassroots organizations, and the Nixon administration -- on the escalation, prosecution, and resolution of the Vietnam War. This groundbreaking work also sheds new light on the relationship between Congress and the imperial presidency as they struggled for control over U.S. foreign policy.

Beginning his analysis in 1961 and continuing through the Paris Peace Accords of 1973, Johns argues that the Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon administrations failed to achieve victory on both fronts of the Vietnam War -- military and political -- because of their preoccupation with domestic politics. Johns details the machinations and political dexterity required of all three presidents and of members of Congress to maneuver between the countervailing forces of escalation and negotiation, offering a provocative account of the ramifications of their decisions. With clear, incisive prose and extensive archival research, Johns''s analysis covers the broad range of the Republican Party''s impact on the Vietnam War, offers a compelling reassessment of responsibility for the conflict, and challenges assumptions about the roles of Congress and the president in U.S. foreign relations.

From President Truman''s use of a domestic propaganda agency to Ronald Reagan''s handling of the Soviet Union during his 1984 reelection campaign, the American political system has consistently exerted a profound effect on the country''s foreign policies. Americans may cling to the belief that "politics stops at the water''s edge," but the reality is that parochial political interests often play a critical role in shaping the nation''s interactions with the outside world.

In The Cold War at Home and Abroad: Domestic Politics and US Foreign Policy since 1945, editors Andrew L. Johns and Mitchell B. Lerner bring together eleven essays that reflect the growing methodological diversity that has transformed the field of diplomatic history over the past twenty years. The contributors examine a spectrum of diverse domestic factors ranging from traditional issues like elections and Congressional influence to less frequently studied factors like the role of religion and regionalism, and trace their influence on the history of US foreign relations since 1945. In doing so, they highlight influences and ideas that expand our understanding of the history of American foreign relations, and provide guidance and direction for both contemporary observers and those who shape the United States'' role in the world.

This expansive volume contains many lessons for politicians, policy makers, and engaged citizens as they struggle to implement a cohesive international strategy in the face of hyper-partisanship at home and uncertainty abroad.

From President Truman''s use of a domestic propaganda agency to Ronald Reagan''s handling of the Soviet Union during his 1984 reelection campaign, the American political system has consistently exerted a profound effect on the country''s foreign policies. Americans may cling to the belief that "politics stops at the water''s edge," but the reality is that parochial political interests often play a critical role in shaping the nation''s interactions with the outside world.

In The Cold War at Home and Abroad: Domestic Politics and US Foreign Policy since 1945, editors Andrew L. Johns and Mitchell B. Lerner bring together eleven essays that reflect the growing methodological diversity that has transformed the field of diplomatic history over the past twenty years. The contributors examine a spectrum of diverse domestic factors ranging from traditional issues like elections and Congressional influence to less frequently studied factors like the role of religion and regionalism, and trace their influence on the history of US foreign relations since 1945. In doing so, they highlight influences and ideas that expand our understanding of the history of American foreign relations, and provide guidance and direction for both contemporary observers and those who shape the United States'' role in the world.

This expansive volume contains many lessons for politicians, policy makers, and engaged citizens as they struggle to implement a cohesive international strategy in the face of hyper-partisanship at home and uncertainty abroad.

A COMPANION TO RONALD REAGAN

Ronald Reagan’s life (1911–2004) spanned some of the most important domestic and international events of the last century. Moreover, his administration (1981–1989) represents a pivotal point in American history, when the pattern of US domestic and foreign policy was fundamentally and permanently changed. As perhaps the key political figure in the last quarter of the twentieth century, Reagan’s legacy continues to exercise significant influence on contemporary politics.

Providing a systematic and definitive examination of Reagan’s life and legacy in its entirety, A Companion to Ronald Reagan evaluates the events, policies, politics, and people of his administration, and assesses the scope and influence of his various careers—sportscaster, actor, political activist, governor, and political icon—within the context of the times. Finally, it grapples with Reagan’s evolving historical and popular legacy in the twenty-first century. Providing the most comprehensive coverage of Ronald Reagan, his administration, and his legacy currently available, this unique companion is the definitive resource for undergraduate and graduate students as well as scholars.

International sporting events, including the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup, have experienced profound growth in popularity and significance since the mid-twentieth century. Sports often facilitate diplomacy, revealing common interests across borders and uniting groups of people who are otherwise divided by history, ethnicity, or politics. In many countries, popular athletes have become diplomatic envoys. Sport is an arena in which international conflict and compromise find expression, yet the impact of sports on foreign relations has not been widely studied by scholars.

In Diplomatic Games, a team of international scholars examines how the nexus of sport and foreign relations has driven political and cultural change since 1945, demonstrating how governments have used athletic competition to maintain and strengthen alliances, promote policies, and increase national prestige. The contributors investigate topics such as China''s use of sports to oppose Western imperialism, the ways in which sports helped bring an end to apartheid in South Africa, and the impact of the United States'' 1980 Olympic boycott on U.S.-Soviet relations. Bringing together innovative scholarship from around the globe, this groundbreaking collection makes a compelling case for the use of sport as a lens through which to view international relations.

The Vietnam War has been analyzed, dissected, and debated from multiple perspectives for decades, but domestic considerations -- such as partisan politics and election-year maneuvering -- are often overlooked as determining factors in the evolution and outcome of America''s longest war.

In Vietnam''s Second Front: Domestic Politics, the Republican Party, and the War, Andrew L. Johns assesses the influence of the Republican Party -- its congressional leadership, politicians, grassroots organizations, and the Nixon administration -- on the escalation, prosecution, and resolution of the Vietnam War. This groundbreaking work also sheds new light on the relationship between Congress and the imperial presidency as they struggled for control over U.S. foreign policy.

Beginning his analysis in 1961 and continuing through the Paris Peace Accords of 1973, Johns argues that the Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon administrations failed to achieve victory on both fronts of the Vietnam War -- military and political -- because of their preoccupation with domestic politics. Johns details the machinations and political dexterity required of all three presidents and of members of Congress to maneuver between the countervailing forces of escalation and negotiation, offering a provocative account of the ramifications of their decisions. With clear, incisive prose and extensive archival research, Johns''s analysis covers the broad range of the Republican Party''s impact on the Vietnam War, offers a compelling reassessment of responsibility for the conflict, and challenges assumptions about the roles of Congress and the president in U.S. foreign relations.

From President Truman''s use of a domestic propaganda agency to Ronald Reagan''s handling of the Soviet Union during his 1984 reelection campaign, the American political system has consistently exerted a profound effect on the country''s foreign policies. Americans may cling to the belief that "politics stops at the water''s edge," but the reality is that parochial political interests often play a critical role in shaping the nation''s interactions with the outside world.

In The Cold War at Home and Abroad: Domestic Politics and US Foreign Policy since 1945, editors Andrew L. Johns and Mitchell B. Lerner bring together eleven essays that reflect the growing methodological diversity that has transformed the field of diplomatic history over the past twenty years. The contributors examine a spectrum of diverse domestic factors ranging from traditional issues like elections and Congressional influence to less frequently studied factors like the role of religion and regionalism, and trace their influence on the history of US foreign relations since 1945. In doing so, they highlight influences and ideas that expand our understanding of the history of American foreign relations, and provide guidance and direction for both contemporary observers and those who shape the United States'' role in the world.

This expansive volume contains many lessons for politicians, policy makers, and engaged citizens as they struggle to implement a cohesive international strategy in the face of hyper-partisanship at home and uncertainty abroad.

From President Truman''s use of a domestic propaganda agency to Ronald Reagan''s handling of the Soviet Union during his 1984 reelection campaign, the American political system has consistently exerted a profound effect on the country''s foreign policies. Americans may cling to the belief that "politics stops at the water''s edge," but the reality is that parochial political interests often play a critical role in shaping the nation''s interactions with the outside world.

In The Cold War at Home and Abroad: Domestic Politics and US Foreign Policy since 1945, editors Andrew L. Johns and Mitchell B. Lerner bring together eleven essays that reflect the growing methodological diversity that has transformed the field of diplomatic history over the past twenty years. The contributors examine a spectrum of diverse domestic factors ranging from traditional issues like elections and Congressional influence to less frequently studied factors like the role of religion and regionalism, and trace their influence on the history of US foreign relations since 1945. In doing so, they highlight influences and ideas that expand our understanding of the history of American foreign relations, and provide guidance and direction for both contemporary observers and those who shape the United States'' role in the world.

This expansive volume contains many lessons for politicians, policy makers, and engaged citizens as they struggle to implement a cohesive international strategy in the face of hyper-partisanship at home and uncertainty abroad.

A COMPANION TO RONALD REAGAN

Ronald Reagan’s life (1911–2004) spanned some of the most important domestic and international events of the last century. Moreover, his administration (1981–1989) represents a pivotal point in American history, when the pattern of US domestic and foreign policy was fundamentally and permanently changed. As perhaps the key political figure in the last quarter of the twentieth century, Reagan’s legacy continues to exercise significant influence on contemporary politics.

Providing a systematic and definitive examination of Reagan’s life and legacy in its entirety, A Companion to Ronald Reagan evaluates the events, policies, politics, and people of his administration, and assesses the scope and influence of his various careers—sportscaster, actor, political activist, governor, and political icon—within the context of the times. Finally, it grapples with Reagan’s evolving historical and popular legacy in the twenty-first century. Providing the most comprehensive coverage of Ronald Reagan, his administration, and his legacy currently available, this unique companion is the definitive resource for undergraduate and graduate students as well as scholars.