United States policy has wavered between idealism and realism. It has been crippled, too, by the failure to build up a cadre of experts who would explain U.S. policy to Arabs and Muslims. These articles touch on aspects of U.S. policy and its promotion in these essays:

• Endangered Species: The Arabists assesses the strengths and limitations of the famed State Department Arabists.
• What You Should Know about Muslim Politics and Society, published in an Aspen Institute book of “memos” to a U.S. president, sets out basic parameters of an illusion-free policy.
• Should America Promote a Liberal, Democratic Middle East? dwells on the perils of indiscriminate democracy promotion.
• Mr. Sharansky, Ease My Doubts engages Natan Sharansky’s democracy-first principle, embraced so wholeheartedly by President Bush.
• Déjà Vu: The ABCs of Public Diplomacy in the Middle East draws public diplomacy lessons for the United States from precedents set by former great powers.