Hudson, Valerie (Texas A&M University)

The Hillary Doctrine: Sex and American Foreign Policy Hudson, Valerie (Texas A&M University)

Marc Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index. Review Quotes: In this remarkably readable book, Valerie Hudson and Patricia Leidl make clear the direct link to enhanced stability in countries where women actively participate in public life. The landscapes surveyed are startlingly broad, from developments in China, India, and Rwanda to in-depth case studies of Afghanistan, Guatemala, and Saudi Arabia. This volume is important for anyone who wants to think seriously about the shape and purpose of foreign policy. Secretary Clinton's declaration that women's subjugation threatens our national interests has been dismissed by many as mere idealism, yet it stems from a pragmatic approach and deep experience. Understanding what Hudson and Leidl reveal about the varying applications of the Hillary Doctrine strikes me as the start of wisdom.--from the foreword by Swanee HuntBiographical Note: Valerie M. Hudson is professor and George H. W. Bush Chair at The Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University. She is the author or editor of several books and coauthor of "Sex and World Peace" and "Bare Branches: The Security Implications of Asia's Surplus Male Population," which won the American Association of Publishers Award for Best Book in Political Science and the Otis Dudley Duncan Award for Best Book in Social Demography. She was named one of "Foreign Policy"'s Top 100 Global Thinkers of 2009. Patricia Leidl is a Vancouver-based international communications advisor who splits her time between the Faculty of Journalism and the Department of Advertising and Public Relations at Michigan State University. Leidl has worked with various USAID-funded projects in Afghanistan and Yemen and as a communications/media advisor with the Geneva-based HIV/AIDS Department of the World Health Organization and as senior editor/media advisor with the New York-based United Nations Population Fund, in addition to consulting with numerous other multilateral organizations and international NGOs. She has served as editorial director of the Vancouver-based "Human Security Report" and has worked as an illustrator, graphic designer, and crime reporter. Publisher Marketing: Hillary Rodham Clinton is the first Secretary of State to declare the subjugation of women worldwide a serious threat to U. S. national security. Known as the Hillary Doctrine, her stance was made part of the 2010 Quadrennial Diplomatic and Development Review of U. S. foreign policy, formally committing America to the proposition that the empowerment of women is a stabilizing force for domestic and international peace. Blending history, fieldwork, theory, and policy analysis while incorporating perspectives from officials and activists on the front lines of implementation, this is the first book to thoroughly investigate the Hillary Doctrine in principle and practice. Does the insecurity of women make nations less secure? How has the doctrine changed the foreign policy of the United States and altered its relationship with other countries, such as China and Mexico? With specific studies of Guatemala, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen, this invaluable policy text closes the gap between rhetoric and reality, confronting head-on what the future of fighting such an entrenched enemy entails. It reports directly on the work being done by U. S. government agencies, including the Office of Global Women's Issues, established by Clinton during her tenure at the State Department, and explores the complexity and pitfalls of attempting to improve the lives of women while safeguarding the national interest. Review Citations:

Kirkus Reviews 03/15/2015 (EAN 9780231164924, Hardcover) - *Starred Review

Library Journal 05/15/2015 pg. 96 (EAN 9780231164924, Hardcover)

Contributor Bio:  Hudson, Valerie M Valerie M. Hudson is Professor of Political Science and faculty affiliate at the David M. Kennedy School for International and Area Studies at Brigham Young University. She is the author of the books "Culture and Foreign Policy" and "Artificial Intelligence and International Politics" and coeditor of "The Limits of State Autonomy: Societal Groups and Foreign Policy Formulation" and "Political Psychology and Foreign Policy". Contributor Bio:  Hunt, Swanee Swanee Hunt is the Founder and Chair of Women Waging Peace, a global policy???oriented initiative working to integrate women into peace processes. During her tenure as U. S. Ambassador to Austria (1993???97), she hosted negotiations and several international symposia to focus efforts on securing the peace in the neighboring Balkan states. Swanee Hunt is a member of the U. S. Council on Foreign Relations, Director of the Women and Public Policy Program at the John F. Kennedy School at Harvard University, and President of the Hunt Alternatives Fund. She has written hundreds of articles for American and international newspapers and professional journals, including Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, the International Herald Tribune, the Chicago Tribune, the Boston Globe, and the Denver Post. She is a syndicated columnist for the Scripps Howard news service.