What does U.S. foreign policy making look like in regions demoted from the top of the priorities list? The U.S. foreign policy literature is awash with analyses of policy making towards high priority states and regions, while less attention has been paid to the mechanics of foreign policy making in lower-priority regions. An example of such a region is the Western Balkans, following the wars of Yugoslav secession. This project examines policy making towards the regions that are ‘left behind’ – not fully stabilized and thus often demanding U.S. attention, but equally not necessitating an urgent response. It proposes a theory of foreign policy making in deprioritized regions and examines the mechanics of policy making from a state-level perspective. Furthermore, it sheds light on the drivers of U.S. foreign policy in the Western Balkans over the past two decades, which is vital for a better understanding of the current political developments and security challenges in the region.
