Public Opinion and Foreign Policy Responsiveness in Western Democracies: A Meta-Analysis

The central question at the intersection of democratic representation research and foreign policy analysis has concerned the influence of public opinion on foreign policy. Using systematically coded information extracted from a sample of original studies, this meta-analysis offers the first contribution of its kind to the debate. The impact of public opinion is analyzed with regards to different issue areas, alternative factors and political units. It concludes that revisionism receives more support than traditionalism, responsiveness in foreign policy is highest with respect to the use of military force abroad and lowest in foreign aid, the effect of public opinion is significantly diminished by alternative factors, and that foreign policy is most responsive in the USA. A set of recommendations is given to provide a brief agenda for improving future original research.