U.S. Presidential Leadership at the UN : 1945 to Present

In October 2010, Hofstra University hosted a symposium evaluating American presidential leadership at the United Nations (UN) from 1945 to the present. Sixty-five years after the creation of this unique international organisation in the final months of World War II, an evaluation of its achievements and challenges from the perspective of the American presidency was both timely and necessary. The United States hosts the UN, pays the largest share of its dues, and typically guides its agenda, particularly in matters of international peace and security. The president directs American foreign policy and therefore represents U.S. interests at the UN. How do American presidents work through the UN to achieve their foreign policy goals, and what are the prospects for future co-operation in the 21st century? This book presents the symposium findings. The first part examines how American institutions, namely, the president, Congress, and the executive branch, work with the international organisation. The second part evaluates how presidents pursue multilateral policy initiatives through the UN as well as proposals for UN reform that would promote executive interests there more effectively. Contributors include experts on the American presidency, political communication, and international security.