FOREIGN

POLICY

Ref. Joshua S. Goldstein, Jon C. Pevehouse, International Relations, Pearson

Publications, 11TH Edition . P. 123 – 139
 Definition of foreign policy
The state involve themselves in
international relations with systematic
as well as defined principles. The
process, the dealing or the interaction
of a state in world system is called
foreign policy.
 Forces that motivate foreign policy

 Nationalism ( Superiority, jingoism, xenophobia)

 Ideology ( theories of religion, politics, social and
economic- capitalism and communism)
 National interests ( Diplomatic and covert actions)

National Interests are preferred over Ideologies.

 Factor Internal
influencing Factors
foreign  Size; Vatican City, Taiwan
 Geography; location, climate-temperate zone
policy  National Capacities; military, technology,
economic develop.
 Political system; Open and Close
 Public mood; given importance in Open
political system
 leadership; in Developing states institutions
are weak while personalities are strong.
 External
Factor Factors
influencing
foreign  Structure of international system;
policy balance of power and bipolar systems
 Regional structure; force state to
extra-regional alliance
 International organization; Pak
adopt UN Charter
 world public opinion; Human rights
& freedom
Foreign The foreign policy
policy process is a process of
process decision making.
States take actions
because people in
government- decision
makers- choose those
actions.
 Model of Decision
Making

 Rational Model
 Organizational Process Model
 Government Bargaining Model
 Definition Rational model
“A model in which decision makers calculate the costs and benefits of each
possible course of action, then choose the one with the highest benefits and
lowest costs”.(Joshua.P.123)
The process of rational model is as under given below.
• Clarify your goals in the situation
• Order them by importance
• List the alternatives for achieving your goals
• Investigate the consequences of each alternative
• Choose the alternative that best achieves your goals
 The Policy makers attach Probabilities

alternative’s
choice may be
complicated • Peace Talks
by Two
Possibilities
of pressuring
• Backfire

Uncertainty a rival state (accepting Risk,

averse Risk)
…. What…?
For example, will pressuring a rival state to give ground in the
peace talks work or backfire?
 Organizational Process Model

“A decision making model in which policy makers or lower level officials rely
largely on standardized responses or standard operation procedures”.
(Joshua.P.124)
• The process of organizational process model is as under given below.
• Goals are not identified
• Alternative actions are not searched
• SOPs are drafted
• Handled by low level decision makers
• General principles are applied
 Government Bargaining Model
Bureaucratic Politics Model
“ A model that sees foreign policy decisions as flowing from
bargaining process among various government agencies that have
somewhat divergent interests in the outcome”. (Joshua.P.124)
• The process of government bargaining model is as under given
below.
• Result from bargaining process
• It reflects the interest of states
• Reflects interest of state agencies
For Exp. Japan & California (US); agriculture Vs. foreign ministry
 Individual
decision
 President Harry Truman, “The Buck
makers: stops here.”
Idiosyncrasies  Individual decisions reflect the values
a behavioral and beliefs of the decision maker.
attribute that is
distinctive and
peculiar to an
individual
 Bill Clinton drew much criticism in
his early years as president for a
foreign policy that seemed to
Idiosyncrasy zigzag.
is affected by B/Z of Early Childhood Experience
made him peacemaker.
Psychoanalytic
Approaches
 Individual
decision
making
diverge from First. Misperception
rational Second. Affective bias
model
Third. Cognitive bias
1. Misperceptions Filtrations is often
biased
and Selective
Information Screens are
Perceptions subconscious or
In 1988, US attacked unconscious
Iran’s Civilian jet as Ignore any Information
military jet that doesn’t fit their
expectations.
2. Affective Bias In rational decision
Positive and Negative making, positive
Affect refer to the information about the
feeling of liking or disliked people, and
disliking someone. negative information about
liked people is screened out
 3. Cognitive We try to produce cognitive
balance, and reduce cognitive
Biases
dissonance…we do
Emotional Feeling, but 1. Justification of Effort: politician don’t admit
failures
Limitations of Human 2. Wishful Thinking: expect probability of desire
outcomes
brain in making 3. Low Probability--- will not occur

choices 4. Mirror Image: we’re defensive, they’re

aggressive
5. Historical Analogies: idea worked in the past,
work again: Appeasement Munich Vs. Vietnam
 Two Specific Modification
proposed to the rational decision
making model

1. Bounded Reality
2. Prospects Theory
 We do two things
Bounded • Optimizing: Picking up very best
option
• Satisficing: finding a satisfactory
Rationalities solution
 We do two things
Prospect • Editing Phase: frame options with
probabilities
• Evaluation Phase: Assess the
Theory options and chose one
 Next Day
Continue…
 • Advisors or legislative committees
Group: may force a state leader to
Psychological reconsider a rash decision.

process • Groupthink: The tendency of

groups to validate wrong
decisions by becoming
What are the
overconfident and
implications of
underestimating risks.
group psychology for
Psychology experiment—A vs. B
foreign policy
decision making? A

B
Over Optimistic, take risk, and everyone think idea will work.
 Some of
the
problems
of
individual
and group
psychology
in the
policy
process is
illustrated
in figure
4.3
 Experienced participants in
foreign policy formation are
familiar with the techniques for
manipulating decision making
processes to favor outcomes they
prefer.
 The Structure of a Decision Making
Process
1. VENUE
2. AGENDA
3. MANIPULATION BY EXPERTS
4. VOTING
5. MINUTES
 Inner Circle of Advisors
1. PRESIDENT JOHNSON: TUESDAY
LUNCHES

2. ISRAEL’S GODLA: KITCHEN CABINET

3. BORIS YELTSIN (RUSSIA): BODY GUARD

 Crisis management
Crisis are foreign policy situations in which outcomes are very
important and time frames are compressed. Cuban Missile
Crisis, 1962
 Decision makers, save time, look creative options, and
designate Devil’s advocate.
 Decision makers during crisis face severe psychological stress,
sleep deprivation and biases.
Example: Israeli PM Yitzhak Rabin-nervous breakdown
Interagency Interagency tensions also affect
Tensions the formulation of foreign
policy
• Defense Ministry is Hawkish
• Foreign Ministry is Dovish
Domestic influence on foreign
policy
 Diplomats
 Interest groups
 military industrial complex
 Public opinion
 legislature
 Bureaucracies: Diplomats
Foreign service/ embassies, consulates
 Political appointees ( who come and go with changes in
government leaders)
 Career diplomats ( who came up through the ranks of the
foreign service)
 Friends or Key advisor
 Rival may be appointed as diplomat
Note: Carry Out Policies rather than Create Policies
 Interest groups are coalitions of people who share a common

Interest
interest in the outcome of some political issue

 Lobbying ( is the process of talking with

Group legislatures or officials to influence their
decisions on some set of issues.
 Ethnic groups ( Emerge b/c the rest of
the population generally doesn’t care
about such issues one way or the other.
 Bigwigs ( according to Marxist theories,
the key domestic influence on foreign
policy in capitalist countries are rich
owners of big business)
 Corruption also plays role
Military – A military-industrial complex refers to a huge
interlocking network of governmental agencies,

industrial industrial corporations, and research institutes, working

together to promote and benefit from military spending.

complex (Joshua.p.135)

 Corporations ( Produce goods for military

profit from government contracts)
 Revolving Door ( Government official
responsible for military procurement
decisions and then return to their companies
again a practice called Revolving Door)
 Military industries ( also influence public
opinion through advertising that ties their
products to patriotic themes.
 Public Opinion in International Relations, the range of views on foreign

Public policy issues held by the citizens of state. (Joshua.p.136)

 Authoritarian Govt. spend effort on

opinion Propaganda (Democracy V.s Dictatorship)
 Both Print and Electronic Media is
used for propaganda(Manipulate, Leak Secret)
 Govt. manipulate media b/c media
depend on Govt for information
 Referendum: Public and
Constituency=Survey
 Attentive Public: Elite,, Rally around
the flag and Diversionary foreign policy
 Legislature is the law making organ of the state
legislature  Passing Budget
 Regulating bureaucratic rules
 creating trade law
 control immigration policy
 agreement must be signed or
approved by legislature
 Purse Strings [approve or reject new
spending]
War Power Act in Presidential System
and No War Power Act in Parliamentary
Systems