ABSTRACT
The shift in US policy in Northern Ireland began with remarks made by candidate Bill Clinton in April 1992. The evolution of his policy is traceable from this moment on. Northern Ireland policy could be micromanaged by the National Security Council (NSC) staff, again, serving to enhance their control. The erstwhile reliance of the British government on State Department-negation was trumped by the creation of informal channels through which issue leaders at the NSC could communicate with previously excluded actors in Ireland and Northern Ireland. The State Department’s emphasis on protecting an established policy on Northern Ireland was made redundant by the informal mechanisms. The variable of formal leverage, because it is basic to all actions undertaken by the federal government is too generalized to explain the outcome in the Northern Ireland turf war. A possible turf war over Bosnia policy was averted because decision-making was formalized.
