The Role of Congress in U.S. Foreign Policy: The Case Study of U.S.-Egyptian Relations 1970-1981

• Post by: Marcelo Pena
• June 2, 2024
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Sophia Lamas, Stanford University

Abstract

What role does Congress play in shaping US foreign policy? Although many argue that it plays a limited role, this paper challenges this view using the 1970s congressional processes that arguably produced one of the hallmarks of US foreign policy in the Middle East, the annual US aid package to Egypt. The paper shows that even though the executive branch drew the broad contours of the US-Egyptian relationship, Congress played an important role in shaping aid to Egypt. It highlights the genealogy of contemporary US-Egyptian relations and enhances our understanding of the role of Congress in foreign policy-making.