What allows a president to decide on a drone strike is the best option for dealing with a problem?
Last season, I explored some basic principles on how American foreign policy gets made and applied those principles to interpreting America’s relations with Iran.
Since that episode aired, relations with Iran escalated sharply after a drone strike killed General Qasem Soleimani one of the highest ranking military leaders in Iran. In many respects it was a precedent setting move by the Trump administration, but it was a precedent built on a series of precedents stretching back at least as far as the 1940s.
How did we reach a decision to authorize a drone strike like this one? In this episode, I break some of the key elements that went into making such a decision possible.
Material cited in this episode
Podcasts
- Episode 7: America’s Place in the World
- Episode 8: Is Trump a Rational Actor?
- Episode 9: Who Makes American Foreign Policy
Books
If you’re interested in reading through some of the sources I consult for these episodes, please check out my newsletter, The Weekly Brief, and consider subscribing!