Puzzle palaces and Foggy Bottom

Puzzle Palaces and Foggy Bottom: U. S. Foreign and Defense Policy-Making in the 1990s explores the actors and institutions involved in the formulation of foreign and defense policy. The book covers traditional inputs into the policy-making process - Congress and the president - and nontraditional inputs, such as public opinion, the media, and "think tanks." It provides a detailed examination of how issues get on the foreign policy agenda and how different parties maneuver to influence policy.

The authors include case studies that show decision-making in a real world context. Discussion of such topics as the Iran-Contra affair and Operation Desert Storm shows the successes, failures, and weaknesses in the formulation and execution of policy initiatives. Economic policy, as well as defense policy, is extensively covered.