Ethnic Lobbies and US Foreign Policy

Book excerpt: Dozens of ethnic groups work determinedly to achieve specific policy goals in Washington, but to what degree do they actually wield power? Which groups are the most influential, and why? David Paul considers the relative impact of 38 ethnic lobbies to determine whether?and if so, how?they affect the course of US foreign policy. Paul systematically examines the impact of ethnic-group influence in six policy areas: aid, immigration, human rights, security, trade, and energy. He also compares the influence of ethnic lobbies to that of other actors, including business groups, the media, and foreign lobbyists. Challenging the conventional wisdom, he effectively draws on both qualitative and quantitative methods to shed needed light on this often heatedly contentious subject.