The U.S. economy is not as strong as it once was in relation to other economies. The security imperatives of the cold war have largely evaporated. And Congress is certainly no longer deferential to the executive branch. Under these new circumstances, outward-first international conferences, international negotiations, and international agreements may not work as a starting point for international economic cooperation.

In this highly readable book, part of the Brookings Integrating National Economies series, Paarlberg offers an in-depth examination of the merits of an inward-first approach to economic policy leadership. He contends that this approach should not be equated with protectionism, because it refers only to policy sequence, not to content. To the extent that inward-first is unilateral, he maintains that unilateral action at home can pave the way for cooperative action abroad.

He tests his argument with more detailed studies in several different policy arenas - including international fiscal policy coordination and discipline, agricultural policy reform, and global environmental policy. Leadership Abroad Begins at Home presents an instructive survey of American political and policymaking institutions, and of America's changing position in the world.