Morality and Grand Strategy: The Executive Branch and the Anti-Apartheid Act

Abstract

The passage of the 1986 Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act marked one of the great legislative failures of the Reagan presidency. Although President Ronald Reagan suffered other defeats on foreign policy questions in Congress, the Anti-Apartheid Act was the most direct. He refused to compromise. Thus, his party deserted him and helped override his veto. While factors in both the international and domestic environment may have made any other outcome impossible, nimble footwork and a better legislative strategy might have prevented such a defeat. The Anti-Apartheid Act was a special case. Nevertheless, it provides some useful lessons for members of the executive branch.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 15, 1989
Accession Number
ADA437587

Entities

People

  • Margaret K. Mcmillion

Organizations

  • National War College

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Civil Rights
  • Congress
  • Executives
  • Foreign Policy
  • Foreign Relations
  • Governments
  • Human Rights
  • International Organizations
  • Law
  • Morals (Social Psychology)
  • National Security
  • Petroleum
  • Prejudice
  • President (United States)
  • South Africa
  • United States
  • War Colleges

Readers

  • Government and Public Administration Law.
  • Strategic Security Studies