Beyond the Water’s Edge

Jordan Tama, author of Terrorism and National Security Reform: How Commissions Can Drive Change During Crises:
Through original and compelling accounts of the political dynamics associated with major foreign policy debates, Pillar provides an in-depth historical account of ebbs and flows in the importance of partisan considerations as a shaper of foreign policy in the United States.

Suzanne E. Spaulding, director, Defending Democratic Institutions Project, Center for Strategic and International Studies:
An urgent cautionary tale about the very real dangers that arise from putting party and personal power above national interest. Pillar distinguishes genuine disagreements over what is best for the nation from the increasingly evident exploitation and exacerbation of polarization to demonize opposition and provoke outrage. Effective foreign policy cannot survive in such an atmosphere, and neither can democracy.

Ellen Laipson, George Mason University:
Paul Pillar delivers another elegant, clear-headed analysis of American foreign policymaking and its flaws. He sees a toxic form of partisanship as a recurrent pathology in U.S. history with particular danger for our role in the world today. A sober and essential read.

Peter Beinart, author of The Crisis of Zionism:
For years, Paul Pillar has been among America’s most thoughtful and independent-minded commentators on international affairs. Now he’s tackled a crucial problem: The way partisanship undermines U.S. foreign policy. Many Americans know our democracy is in trouble. This book trenchantly lays out the consequences for America’s relationship with the rest of the world.