Public Opinion And Vietnam
In his seminal book “the Impact of Public Opinion on U.S. Foreign Policy Since
Vietnam”, in which he examines how officials in the White House over five administrations from the Vietnam war to the Bosnian war reacted to the public opinion, Richard Sobel (2001) introduces his Constraint theory of the relationship between Public Opinion and American Foreign Policy. The general argument of this theory is that:
“Public opinion constrains, but does not set, American foreign intervention theory. In other words, the public’s attitudes set the limits
within which policymakers may operate. Within those parameters of permissive consensus, decision makers may operate with less or more political costs and relative discretion about which policies to choose.
Vietnam”, in which he examines how officials in the White House over five administrations from the Vietnam war to the Bosnian war reacted to the public opinion, Richard Sobel (2001) introduces his Constraint theory of the relationship between Public Opinion and American Foreign Policy. The general argument of this theory is that:
“Public opinion constrains, but does not set, American foreign intervention theory. In other words, the public’s attitudes set the limits
within which policymakers may operate. Within those parameters of permissive consensus, decision makers may operate with less or more political costs and relative discretion about which policies to choose.