Chapter 7 > The President's Foreign Policy Performance > Overview

U.S. Report - pdf version Leaders Questionnaire - pdf version Public Questionnaire - pdf version

Overview: The President's Foreign Policy Performance

Evaluations of the foreign policy establishment - the performance of President Bush and his administration and the balance of authority among the government officials and groups who influence American foreign affairs - are important indicators of whether the public feels its interests are being represented an its opinions heard. In 2002 the Chicago Council/German Marshall Fund study finds that while Americans like President Bush overall, they are not completely satisfied -- in some areas quite dissatisfied -- with the administration's handling of many foreign policy problems. Nonetheless, most Americans continue to give the president relatively wide latitude in conducting American foreign affairs as compared to the influence they want Congress, interest groups, or any key element of the government to have on foreign policy, perhaps because of their high concern about the threat of terrorism.