Not whether but when

"Based on interviews with more than 75 individuals - from Cabinet members to desk officers - Goldgeier analyzes the process through which the first former Soviet bloc countries joined the Western alliance. He examines the earliest internal administration deliberations, the efforts not to alienate Russia, and the different perceptions among government officials about when the decision to enlarge was reached. Goldgeier demonstrates how domestic politics influenced the decision and analyzes the national campaign waged by the State Department's specially created NATO enlargement ratification office and its outside supporters." "Weaving together insights about bureaucratic politics, policy entrepreneurship, and domestic politics, this book provides a fresh look at the American foreign policymaking process."--Jacket.