This volume explains the representation of a problem as well as the choice among specified options for its solution.

Part I. Introducing Problem Presentation: 1. Introduction Donald A. Sylvan; 2. On the representation of problems: an informative processing approach to foreign policy decision making James F. Voss; Part II. Overarching Conceptual Issues: 3. The interpretation of foreign policy events: a cognitive process theory Charles S. Taber; 4. Problem identification in sequential policy decision making: the re-representation of problems Robert Billings and Charles F. Hermann; 5. Collective interpretations: how problem representations aggregate in foreign policy groups Ryan Beasley; 6. Image change and problem representation after the Cold War Martha Cottam and Dorcas E. McCoy: Part III. Empirical Analysis: 7. Problem representations and political expertise: evidence from 'think aloud' protocols of South African elite Helen Purkitt; 8. Reasoning and problem representation in foreign policy: groups, individuals, and stories Donald A. Sylvan and Deborah M. Haddad; 9. Representing problem representation Michael Young; 10. A problem solving perspective on decision-making processes and political strategies in committees Katherine Gannon; 11. When gender goes to combat: the impact of representations in collective decision-making Silvana Rubino-Hallman; 12. Representation of the Gulf Crisis as derived from the US Senate debate James F. Voss, Jennifer Wiley, Joel Kennet, Tonya Schooler and Laurie Ney Silfies; 13. Configuring issue areas: Belgian and Dutch representations of the role in foreign assistance in foreign policy Marijke Breuning; Part IV. Conclusion: 14. Reflecting on the study of problem representation: how are we studying it and what are we learning? Donald A. Sylvan.