For years, Paul Pillar has been among Americas most thoughtful and independent-minded commentators on international affairs. Now hes 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 Americas relationship with the rest of the world. -- Peter Beinart, author of The Crisis of Zionism 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. -- Ellen Laipson, George Mason University 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. -- Suzanne E. Spaulding, director, Defending Democratic Institutions Project, Center for Strategic and International Studies 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. -- Jordan Tama, author of Terrorism and National Security Reform: How Commissions Can Drive Change During Crises Beyond the Waters Edge presents an ominous warning from one of the country's most respected former national security officials, chronicling the way that domestic polarization has progressively undermined American foreign policy and weakened the United States. -- Francis Fukuyama, author of Liberalism and Its Discontents