cover image Foreign Policy, Inc.: Privatizing America's National Interest

Foreign Policy, Inc.: Privatizing America's National Interest

Lawrence Davidson, . . Univ. Press of Kentucky, $27.50 (188pp) ISBN 978-0-8131-2524-4

Davidson (Islamic Fundamentalism ) forms a pithy, well supported argument based primarily on two case studies—a historical review of the Cuban-American and Jewish-American lobbies, and their respective impacts on the formation of U.S. foreign policy. The author maintains that localism, the primary symptom of which is popular disregard for foreign policy issues, results in the formation of factionalized interest groups with varying degrees of organization and effectiveness. Coining the term “factocracy”—rule by factions—Davidson discusses how foreign policy issues enter local consciousness as a reflection and extension of the interests of certain national, ethnic and religious groups abroad. He discusses examples of this sociopolitical phenomenon as far back as the 18th century and brings his argument right up to the recent past, suggesting in his conclusion that the terrorist attacks of September 11 “had everything to do with” U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, which he argues is heavily influenced by America's Zionist lobby. It is compact, articulate and cogently written, but fails to present any version of a counterargument. (Jan.)