2. Intro to foreign policy:
WHAT IS FOREIGN POLICY;
‘A government's strategy in dealing with other nations’
According to Professor Gibson:
"Foreign policy is well defined comprehensive plan based on knowledge
and experience for conducting the business of the government with the rest
of the world".
According to Professor Joseph Frank:
"Foreign policy consists of decisions and actions that involve to some
appreciable extant. relations between one state and other"
A country's foreign policy, also called foreign relations or foreign affairs policy, consists of self-interest
strategies chosen by the state to safeguard its national interests and to achieve goals within its
international relations
3.
4. Example of foreign policy:
Dollar diplomacy of the United States—
Particularly during President William Howard Taft's presidential term— was a form of American foreign
policy to aimed at furthering the interests of the United States abroad by encouraging the investment of
U.S. capital in foreign countries",.
"To build and sustain a more democratic, secure, and prosperous world for the benefit of the American
people and the international community".
In 2013 China developed a foreign policy known as the Belt and Road Initiative, The Belt and Road
Initiative is a large project aiming at improving regional co-operation through better connectivity among
countries.
The purpose was to promote economic prosperity of the countries along the belt and road and regional
economic cooperation, to strengthen exchanges and mutual learning between different civilizations,
to promote world peace and development
5. Power and capability:
Power is defined as;
‘State’s ability to exercise influence over
other states within the international
system’.
Capability is defined as;
‘The significant amount of power of the
state within international system’.
6. FOREIGN POLICY ANALYSIS AND POWER
Foreign policy Analysts have assumed that it is the very nature of the international system that is without
any recognized central authority for which compels states to pursue a relentless quest for security and
wealth.
Power in interstate relations maybe defined as a state's ability to control, or at least influence, other states.
Power is also a major goal of states foreign policy. The immediate aim of all states is to obtain and to
increase power. international politics can be analysed as a struggle between independent units seeking to
dominate others
The source of state power can be found primarily in its military and economic capability which gives it
means to exercise coercive and non coercive influence.
7. FORMULATING FOREIGN POLICY
Overall national interest, foreign policy goals and the objectives of one stats national security and
foreign policy are linked to political stability, economic strength, good governance, vibrant institutions
and social cohesion.
The making of foreign policy involves a number of stages:
Assessment of the international and domestic political environment
Goal setting
Determination of policy options
Formal decision making action
Implementation of chosen policy option
8. • Assessment of the international and domestic political environment
Foreign policy is made and implemented within an international and domestic political context,
which must be understood by a state in order to determine the best foreign policy option.
• Goal setting
A state has multiple foreign policy goals. A state must determine which goal is affected by the
international and domestic political environment at any given time.
• Determination of policy options –
A state must then determine what policy options are available to meet the goal or goals set in light
the political environment. This will involve an assessment of the state's capacity implement policy
options and an assessment of the consequences of each policy option.
9. • Formal decision making action –
A formal foreign policy decision will be taken at some level within a government. Foreign policy decisions
are usually made by the executive branch of government. Common governmental actors or institutions
which make foreign policy decisions include: the head of state (such as a president) or head of government
(such as a prime minister), cabinet, or minister.
• Implementation of chosen policy option –
Once a foreign policy option has been chosen, and a formal decision has been made, then the policy must
be implemented. Foreign policy is most commonly implemented by specialist foreign policy arms of the
state bureaucracy, such as a Ministry of Foreign Affairs or State Department.
10.
11. National interest:
‘is a country's goals and ambitions, whether economic, military, cultural or
otherwise.’
The main purpose of foreign policy is to conduct foreign relations to protect national interests and promote
them to the best possible advantage. As the national interests of nations keep changing, their foreign policies
also undergo change. National interests are also influenced by ideologies.
Balance of power:
‘states may secure their survival by preventing any one state from gaining
enough military power to dominate all others.’
Balance of power is important because it is a system in which peace can be kept among a large number of
states when there is no hegemon among them. Here, balance of power is important because the two rivals
may go to war if one gets more power than the other.
12. INSTRUMENTS OF FOREIGN POLICY
There are four major instruments that conduct foreign policy including
DIPLOMACY
MILITARY POLICIES
FOREIGN AID
TRADE
Diplomacy:
Diplomacy is the main instrument of foreign policy, which consists of the broader goals and strategies
that guide a state's interactions with the rest of the world.
Military policy:
Military policy can be defined as a set of activities carried out mainly by the representatives of the
defence department, as well as other state institutions, aimed at pursuing the foreign policy interests of
the state in the field of security and defence policy.
13. Foreign aid
‘money, food, or other resources given or lent by one country to another.’
Foreign aid is money that one country voluntarily transfers to another, which can take the form of
gift, a grant or a loan. In the United States, the term usually refers only to military and economic
assistance the federal government provides to other governments.
Trade
‘Foreign trade is exchange of capital, goods, and services across international borders or
territories.’
Foreign trade creates an opportunity for the produces to reach beyond the domestic markets.
Producers can sell their produce not only in markets located within the country but can also
compete in markets located in other countries of the world.
