Use of military force without a declaration of war has been a weapon in the arsenal of U.S. presidents for the last 200 years. Force has become an increasingly more (relevant) foreign policy action in the post-Cold War world. This comprehensive resource approaches the study of the use of force from several theoretical approaches: the historical record, which includes regional analyses of Latin America/the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, the Middle East/North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa; the data sets that focus on the use of force; the international level, which includes democratic peace, multilateralism, and Yugoslavia; domestic politics, which includes Congress, the media, and public opinion; executive-congressional relations, including political and constitutional issues; ethics; and theories of decision making on the use of force.

The volume includes a list of important concepts and terms and a selected bibliography, as well as suggested readings following each entry, and an index. It will be of interest to students and scholars in political science, U.S. history, international relations, and foreign policy. Academic libraries and selected public libraries will also be interested in this comprehensive volume.