The impact of lobbying on the United States foreign policy: Saudi Arabia lobbying for the acquisition of the Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS).

摘要

This dissertation is a comprehensive study of the influence of lobbying on the foreign policy of the United States. The Saudi Arabian lobbying effort to purchase the Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft from the United States in 1981 has been selected as a case study in this dissertation. The dissertation also seeks to address the fundamental question concerning the functioning of American political institutions, and specifically: what role does the influence and lobbying activities of organizations and pressure groups play on decisions by the U.S. Congress and the Executive branch? The critical thrust of this study is to identify the core activities involved in the decision-making process that played the most critical role in the policy outcome concerning the AWACS transfer.; The theoretical concept employed in this study is the pressure group theory as defined in current theoretical literature. The pressure group approach explains the nature of foreign lobbying and the characteristics and activities of lobbyists like those representing Saudi Arabia, in the United States. The observed importance of interest groups for the formation of public policy makes them a worthy object for theoretical inquiry.; The central hypotheses tested by this study are the following: (1) The Saudi Arabian lobbying tactics and financial capabilities determined the outcome of the foreign policy decision of the United States in the AWACS debate. (2) The outcome of the AWACS debate was shaped by the highly competitive pressure groups. The analysis undertaking in this dissertation indicates that the hypotheses have been affirmed leading to the following findings: (a) although lobbying may continue to be depicted as a negative practice, it is not in itself illegal. (b) Foreign lobbying of the United States Congress is not necessarily improper and exercised within the legal perimeters. (c) There is nothing fundamentally undemocratic about pressure groups, and (d) The American political system has always facilitated domestic lobbying as expressive of public interest. An exemption should not be made in the case of foreign lobbying. In essence, as long as the issue is presented as part of the American interest, as in the AWACS case, foreign government lobbying will continue to exist.