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Deceit on the Road to War: Presidents, Politics, and American Democracy

2015 Cornell University ;ISBN: 9781501701610 ;ISBN: 1501701614 ;ISBN: 0801453593 ;ISBN: 9780801453595 ;ISBN: 9781501701627 ;ISBN: 1501701622 ;EISBN: 9781501701627 ;EISBN: 1501701622 ;EISBN: 9781501701610 ;EISBN: 1501701614 ;DOI: 10.7591/9781501701627 ;OCLC: 918561620 ;LCCallNum: JK558.S44 2015

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  • Title:
    Deceit on the Road to War: Presidents, Politics, and American Democracy
  • Author: Schuessler, John M
  • Subjects: 20th Century ; Deception ; HISTORY ; Iraq War, 2003-2011 ; Political aspects ; Political leadership ; POLITICAL SCIENCE ; Politics and war ; Security (National & International) ; United States ; Vietnam War, 1961-1975 ; World War, 1939-1945
  • Description: InDeceit on the Road to War, John M. Schuessler examines how U.S. presidents have deceived the American public about fundamental decisions of war and peace. Deception has been deliberate, he suggests, as presidents have sought to shift blame for war onto others in some cases and oversell its benefits in others. Such deceit is a natural outgrowth of the democratic process, in Schuessler's view, because elected leaders have powerful incentives to maximize domestic support for war and retain considerable ability to manipulate domestic audiences. They can exploit information and propaganda advantages to frame issues in misleading ways, cherry-pick supporting evidence, suppress damaging revelations, and otherwise skew the public debate to their benefit. These tactics are particularly effective before the outbreak of war, when the information gap between leaders and the public is greatest.When resorting to deception, leaders take a calculated risk that the outcome of war will be favorable, expecting the public to adopt a forgiving attitude after victory is secured. The three cases featured in the book-Franklin Roosevelt and World War II, Lyndon Johnson and the Vietnam War, and George W. Bush and the Iraq War-test these claims. Schuessler concludes that democracies are not as constrained in their ability to go to war as we might believe and that deception cannot be ruled out in all cases as contrary to the national interest. InDeceit on the Road to War, John M. Schuessler examines how U.S. presidents have deceived the American public about fundamental decisions of war and peace. Deception has been deliberate, he suggests, as presidents have sought to shift blame for war onto others in some cases and oversell its benefits in others. Such deceit is a natural outgrowth of the democratic process, in Schuessler's view, because elected leaders have powerful incentives to maximize domestic support for war and retain considerable ability to manipulate domestic audiences. They can exploit information and propaganda advantages to frame issues in misleading ways, cherry-pick supporting evidence, suppress damaging revelations, and otherwise skew the public debate to their benefit. These tactics are particularly effective before the outbreak of war, when the information gap between leaders and the public is greatest. When resorting to deception, leaders take a calculated risk that the outcome of war will be favorable, expecting the public to adopt a forgiving attitude after victory is secured. The three cases featured in the book-Franklin Roosevelt and World War II, Lyndon Johnson and the Vietnam War, and George W. Bush and the Iraq War-test these claims. Schuessler concludes that democracies are not as constrained in their ability to go to war as we might believe and that deception cannot be ruled out in all cases as contrary to the national interest.
  • Publisher: Ithaca: Cornell University Press
  • Creation Date: 2015
  • Format: 192
  • Language: English
  • Identifier: ISBN: 9781501701610
    ISBN: 1501701614
    ISBN: 0801453593
    ISBN: 9780801453595
    ISBN: 9781501701627
    ISBN: 1501701622
    EISBN: 9781501701627
    EISBN: 1501701622
    EISBN: 9781501701610
    EISBN: 1501701614
    DOI: 10.7591/9781501701627
    OCLC: 918561620
    LCCallNum: JK558.S44 2015
  • Source: Ebook Central Academic Complete
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