What exactly is foreign policy?

Section A. (1) What exactly is foreign policy?

Foreign policies are the strategies used by governments to guide their actions in the international arena (Goldstein, 2001:163). It can be said that foreign policies spell out the objectives state leaders have decided to pursue in a given relationship or situation as well as the general means by which they intend to pursue those objectives. Spiegel et al, in “World Politics in a New Era’ states further that, foreign policy is the actions and positions on issues taken by an individual state regarding other states or groups outside its boundaries (Spiegel et al, 2004:12). The Penguin Dictionary of International Relations put it as “ the activity whereby state actors act, react and interact” and “the state’s relations with the outside world” (Evans and Newham, 2001:179). Simply stated foreign policy is the ideas or actions designed by a nation-state’s policy makers to solve a problem related to other nation-states, or to try and effect change in the policies, attitudes or actions of another state, states or international actor, the international economy, or the physical environment of the world.

At the apex of this paper is, ‘what exactly is foreign policy?’ When we use the term “foreign”, we typically make the distinction between foreign policy and domestic policy. “Foreign” is meant to apply to policy toward the world outside states territorial borders, and “domestic” is meant to apply to policy made for the internal political system (Beasley et al, 2002:3). “Policy” it can be said is a fairly broad term, representing a whole range of activities. It can include specific decisions (to sign a weapons treaty) and general guidelines (to support human rights). It is imperative to point out “going to war with another country, signing an international trade agreement, and aiding a rebel insurgency in another country are examples foreign policy. While taxes, education standards, and civil rights are examples of domestic policy (Beasley et al, 2002:3-4). Therefore one can make clear, the distinction between foreign and domestic policy.

Diplomatic interactions between states embody foreign policy. In recent weeks we saw the direct foreign policy of United States when it withdrew its Ambassador from Syria in retaliation to the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister….. Moreover, in George Bush’s recent state of the Union address he clearly stated that the US was in disagreement with North Korea possessing and developing nuclear weapons. This is an example of foreign policy. Additionally, it can be said that the position a state takes in UN and other international organization is part of its foreign policy. For example Jamaica had a strong stance ...

This is a preview of the whole essay

Our understanding of who makes foreign policy is an important part of our knowledge of “foreign policy”. Foreign policy is considered to be a boundary activity as it straddles both the internal and external environment. Foreign policies are typically thought of as the product of governments and thus governments are the actors. These actors are the political elites, and state institutions. Nonetheless, lobby and interest groups affect a state’s foreign policy to some degree. For example, the Cuban-American group in Florida is key in US maintaining its embargo against Cuba, as the Cuban vote is crucial in winning the much-needed electoral votes in Florida. With its principal aim being national interest, a state’s foreign policy is implemented with the aid of the government and its various agencies, interested groups, and citizens. Foreign policy is important to international relations.

Foreign policy in and of itself speaks of a nation-state relationship with other states. It is imperative to note that the day-to-day decisions made by various arms of government are guided by the goal of implementing foreign policy (Goldstein, 2001:163). It is important to note that a state’s foreign policy is not limited to military or security policies. It also includes areas such as foreign economic policy, international environmental policy and human rights policy.

In order to extrapolate on what exactly is foreign policy one needs a clear understanding of why countries have foreign policies. It can be argued that states create foreign policy principally in order to pursue their national interest within the international system. This national interest deals with issues ranging from security of its geographical territory, sovereignty, and autonomy in its decision-making, the welfare of its citizens and status and prestige among other nation-states. For illustration, it is often said that France believes that it is at the echelon in the society; therefore it will act accordingly to remain in that echelon, for instance its position on the war in Iraq.

Foreign policy of a nation is often made in the nation’s best interest to meet its established goals. It is implemented through the aid of the government and its various agencies and individuals such as the citizens and their interest groups. There are both external and internal factors affecting a states foreign policy. Externally, a countries position in the international system will affect its foreign policy. For example, Russia’s foreign policy during the Cold War when it was a superpower, is different from now because Russia is no longer the great power it once was. An internal factor that will determine a countries foreign policy is its domestic political ideology and internal political culture. For illustration, Cuba’s foreign policy is determined for the most part, by the fact that it is communist.

It is important to note that in the past, distinction between foreign and domestic policy was easier to make than it is today. Contemporary politics has blurred the line between what is foreign and what is domestic (Beasley et al, 2002:4). Taking, for example, country A passes an environmental law that requires cars sold within its borders to reach minimum emission standards. This is a domestic issue per se in the sense that it aims to improve the air quality of its own citizens. But it also affects companies and economic conditions of countries outside its borders by requiring that all auto imports have additional features, which may be costly and affect foreign sales. This example demonstrates that because of the increased interdependence binding countries together, most policies have consequences inside and outside state borders, and therefore concern both foreign and domestic issues.

Bibliography

Beasley, Ryan, Kaarbo et al. Foreign Policy in Comparative Perspective: Domestic and International Influences on State Behaviour. Washington: Congressional Quarterly Inc, 2001.

Evans, Graham and Jeffrey Newnham. The Penguin Dictionary of International Relations. London: Penguin Books.

Goldstein, Joshua. International Relations. 4th ed. Longman, 2001.

Hudson, Valerie and Vore, Christopher. Foreign Policy Analysis: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. Mershon International Studies Review 39 (2) October, 1995: 209-238.

Mingst, Karen. Essentials of International Relations. 3rd ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2004.

Neack, Laura. The New Foreign Policy: U.S. and Comparative Foreign Policy in the 21st Century. Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield, 2002.