A Sensible Public

Abstract

The four books reviewed here share a conviction that many important influences on the international behavior of nations flow from within them, that public opinion is a significant such influence and that, as a general rule, popular preferences are sensibly related to the sound conduct of foreign policy. As such, this body of recent literature should help the discipline of international relations free itself from the hold that political realism has had on it. A conception of rationality as “reasonableness” is one of its valuable contributions; another is the insight it provides into the relationship between public opinion, governmental interests, and media views. At the same time, this article suggests ways in which the study of public opinion and foreign policy could be directed in new theoretical directions.