What do prominent political science and international relations
scholars have to say about about the attitudes and behavior
characteristics that distinguish United States Foreign Policy making
from other states? How have these characteristics affected U.S.
overseas affairs?

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Request for Question Clarification by hedgie-ga on 10 Apr 2005 12:19 PDT

It may be  a good idea to specify some time period.
Do you mean for whole 200 years or lately?
Quite a number of people overseas feel US has changed.

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Clarification of Question by jobhuntingguy-ga on 10 Apr 2005 18:40 PDT

The question concerns the range of attitudes behavior since the U.S.
became a major world player (WWI). Of course, some of our past and
current behaviors are reflective of experiences in the 18th and 19th
centuries (i.e. our historical experience). But I'm most interested in
seeing what political scientists have to say about the subject, rather
than historians...

jobhuntingguy-ga 

             This is an interesting question, but it is very broad -
asking about all parts of the world and about several periods:

1) from WWI to end of WWII
2) Cold War
3) 1980 to the rise of neocons
4) US foreign policy under neocons

       In these periods  US policies, and their perception by foreign
nations and their leaders,  were different, sometimes very different.

I will not attempt to research this question, it looks too broad to me,
 but I will follow with interest an answer and other comments you may get.

Just to document the transition from period 3 t0 4, as seen from abroad,
here are two links which came up in initial cursory look on the web
resources dealing with these issues:

 Quote:----------------\
The Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) has just released
the results of a BBC World Service poll of 21 countries.  Here are the
headlines from PIPA:


In 18 of 21 Countries Polled, Most See Bush's Reelection as a Negative
for World Security

India, Phillipines and Poland See Bush's Reelection as Positive

Substantial Minority Now Feels Worse Toward American People

More See US Influence in World as Negative Than Positive

No Country Supports Contributing Troops to Iraq

----------------------------------/

http://americanfuture.typepad.com/american_future/2005/01/international_p.html

There are some interesting bar graphs there.
 It would be interesting to see how the same questions would be
answered during the Cold War. I am  sure the results would be
different.

   Here is a summary of just EU view  of US as of 2002
 It also shows change in perception of the US policies with onset of period 4:

Quote ---------------------------\
  There is at present much talk in the US of multilateralism ?à la
carte?: acting unilaterally when it can; rounding up a coalition of
allies when it is convenient or useful.
 
 For the world?s leading power this a temptation ? to have its cake
and eat it too. But there is a price to be paid. Every time the US
ignores its allies it will increase their reluctance to go along with
the next US-led coalition. . We often say there is no such thing as a
free lunch; well maybe there is sometimes?but not a la carte.
 
 So, seen from this side of the Atlantic, on the East River, the EU?s
commitment to multilateralism gives the US a choice: either it stays
the course of the last 50 years, and the bedrock of common values is
maintained; or, it succumbs to the unilateralist urge to go it alone.
We in Europe would greatly regret that.
 
 So as you watch Europe continue to evolve, I think it is worth asking
not just what it tells you about the state of our Union, but also what
questions it throws up for the state of yours.
 
-----------/
http://www.europa-eu-un.org/articles/en/article_1266_en.htm

  So, you may consider breaking the question into several, dealing with
 one period and different parts of the world. As some reserchers reside
outside of US - you  get result more informed about local sentiments.

Good luck ( both with the question and   a job)

Hedgie