ABSTRACT
The President is the most important actor in the foreign policy decision-making process. The famous inscription on President Truman’s desk “The Buck Stops Here” remains true today. Foreign governments, lobbyists, ethnic groups and the media have the White House as their principal target in trying to influence American foreign policy. The President has to weigh all the political ramifications of any decision he makes. For example, in the spring of 2001, the White House, under strong pressure from the energy lobby, decided not to make any effort to reach a compromise on the Kyoto Protocol on global warming. The White House knew that this decision would cause widespread dismay abroad but it considered domestic interests should take priority.
