Foreign Policy Entrepreneurship in Congress During the Trump Administration

• In Event: Congressional Influence on American Foreign Policymaking

Abstract

A small, competitive, and bipartisan collection of foreign policy entrepreneurs in the United States Senate secured the delivery of humanitarian and commercial goods to Yemen in 2017 and challenged United States’ support of Saudi Arabia’s air campaign in 2018. Amid a highly polarized political environment and ongoing turf battles between the Executive Branch and Congress, they compelled Presidential action and altered Saudi Arabia’s behavior. Subsequent dissatisfaction with the Executive’s fulfillment of related reporting requirements helped trigger a rare instance of broad-based anti-presidential bipartisanship in the Trump era. Process-tracing of the decisions and strategies employed by one of the leading Senators in this group contributes to our understanding of factors that may trigger action by foreign policy entrepreneurs and encourage others to follow their lead. It demonstrates the strategic use of hearings to educate fellow policymakers and activate Executive compliance with U.S. code and international law. It also highlights Congressional perseverance and the importance of assessing Congress’ often indirect and multifaceted impacts on foreign policy in terms of specified outcomes in addition to the success or failure of particular legislative actions or other tactics employed to achieve those ends.

Author

• George E. Shambaugh, Georgetown University