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Introduction
In the modern times, growth and development of nation-states and increased relations and communications
among them has led to the creation and formulation of foreign policy. Emergence of United Nations along
with the process of de-colonization that has given the liberty to many countries to exist and function as
sovereign states, have further privileged the states with the momentum to foster and maintain relations with
other countries. There is harmony, to some extent, among the scholars and eminent personalities of the state
on the prerequisite of a foreign policy for every country, since no country would prefer to perform in
separation from other countries of the world. A country without foreign policy is viewed as a football team
playing the game without any master plan to post the goals, hence all the players of the team are
directionless on what rile and functions they are supposed to perform on the playground. Therefore, it can
be asserted that foreign policy will continue to exist as far as sovereign countries exist and function in the
world system. Foreign policy is conducted in an environment of multiple linkages between home and abroad
in the forms of NGOs, MNCs, academics, political leaders, interventions of several foreign governments, as
well as intense media scrutiny (Chong 2007: 05).
Foreign policy is a method adopted by countries to engage with other countries through discussion and
negotiation. It helps countries to engage politically, socially, economically and militarily with each other.
When foreign policy is studied, it should analyse the interests of specific nations. Moreover, foreign policy
has played a significant role in the process of globalization. It has created a world where there are vital
relations between countries. It is not a zero sum game, but has a positive quality. It also has the skills to
develop multi-dimensional issues. It is a tool of engagement with neighbours. It connects the powers of the
world. It also engages with safety reasons, peace and development of a country. Foreign policy is an
important aspect in the affairs of nation-states. It uses diplomacy as a tool to manage a country’s affairs. It is
a decision-making process. Kenneth Waltz’s conception of foreign policy preferences is only marginally different. He assumes that some variation may occur, but that change in preferences based on experience
and observation (in my terminology, foreign policy learning) will be unidirectional (Goldsmith 2005: 29).
Foreign policy has not been significantly effective. Foreign policy decisions design relations between a
country and the international system. The decision-making approach engages with the coalition decision of
foreign policy. There lies a lot of difference in the process of a decision taken by an individual and that of a
group. Moreover, if there is more than one group involved, then the process would be altogether something
else. Foreign policy analysis is the development of conceptualization. Foreign policy decision-making is a
mechanical system. It is devoted to establishing legitimacy. The decision-making process has developed the
theoretical outlooks in foreign policy.
Definitions of Foreign Policy
Foreign policy has been defined by many scholars in various different ways that underlines their personal
perspectives. Though the scholars have differences regarding the definition of foreign policy, they share
common views on the fact that foreign policy is majorly concerned with interests and its conduct towards
other countries. The role of foreign policy is to attempt to reduce the effects of unfavorable conditions and
increase the effects of favourable conditions and actions of other countries. Foreign policy is a complicated
and diversified political relation that a country is engaged in for fostering relations with other countries and
non-state actors beyond the concerns of its own authority. Its objective is to promote and protect the
interests of other countries as well. Foreign policy, by definition, operates in spaces constructed by states
(Chong 2007: 38).
A doctrine of foreign policy can be clear and understandable or it may be ambiguous and complicated. It
should be understood clearly that foreign policy is not merely associated with meetings among the
diplomats, political and formal statement from prominent personalities of the state, and public statements of
state leaders. On contradictory to this, foreign policy is focused on the contemporary nature of the goals and
objectives of the country and interests and values that are perceived for adequate behaviour in negotiating
with other countries. Foreign policy is designed on the basis of number of factors and aspects that define
and frame its agenda. It cannot survive and exist in isolation. Foreign policy of any country originates from
events of the past that are responsible for enhancing and promoting unity and sovereignty of the country,
basic values and foundations based on ideology for growth and development of the country and goals and
objectives of the country. It can be understood in the wider spectrum in the formation of the government,
economic growth and stability, political scenario, geographical conditions and prevailing environment in the
country.
Foreign policy analysis focuses on ethnic and interest groups. American politics mostly overlooks foreign
policy events. Foreign policy in the United States has been one of the consequences of ethnic lobbying. The
ethnic lobbying in foreign policy makes an influential dimension. “The lack of consensus about the dynamics behind the formation and power of ethnic lobby groups can be seen as rooted in an unclear
evidentiary pattern and an understudied set of phenomena” (Haney 2008: 07).
Exposure to events in world politics, whether through news media or observations of political pundits, gives
the clear impression that leaders are active players in international relations and the making of foreign
policy (Grove 2007: 01). Foreign policy has played a vital role in forming public opinion in international
politics. It is concerned by the influenced public opinions in international politics. Creating a foreign policy
needs complex decision making, knowledge of crucial factors and high level reasoning which is not found
in the masses. Realists influence the public opinions on foreign policy. Neorealists such as Kenneth Waltz
distinguish between theories of foreign policy choice and systemic theories of international outcomes but
still echo the sentiments of classical realists regarding public opinion and foreign policy (Foyle 1999: 05).
International relations theories have used the modernist theory and theoretical pluralism in international
politics. Foreign policy and its strategies are related to the concept of control. It makes the relation between
other countries’ peace, coalition, diplomatic relations, implementation of nuclear status, political support
etc. Diplomacy is the most important part of the implementation of foreign policy. The democracy foreign
policy talks about the value of democracy and the non-democratic foreign policy interrelates is the most
collective strategy ability is the inexpert democracy foreign policy making. The emphasis on
democratization as a tenet of foreign policy had, however, generally been on liberation and not on control
(Pierce 2003: 205).
National Interest and Foreign Policy
For consistency and continuity of a foreign policy, in the modern times, it has to gain credibility and
authority with citizens of a country. This can be achieved by continuous efforts for pursuing defined
national interests with the help of country’s foreign policy. National interests are decided in the term of
needs, aims or expectations that are communicated to the policymakers through the citizens of a country.
National interest can also be defined in the context of protection against aggression, increasing the standards
of living or considering right place in international institutions such as United Nations. National Interests are
majorly divided in two categories; core interests and secondary interests. Core interests are more important
from the point of view of foreign policy of county. Internationally, there appeared to be a clear mandate for
greater American involvement in global affairs, the foreign policy establishment wanted to convince
political elites and the American public that it was in America’s interest to play a greater role in
international politics (Arin 2014: 15).
Foreign policy involves designing, management and control. The countries use diplomacy as an instrument
of foreign policy. Foreign policy is the strategy applied in international circles. Foreign policy process is a
procedure of decision-making. It is influenced by the intimate dynamics of decision-making. The decision-
making approach denied that power is necessarily structured in the way that the elitists said it is, and argued that the only valid evidence about power had to be derived from a study of action in the decision-making
arena (Debnam 1984: 01). Therefore, realists emphasize on political control and decision-making.
The impact of foreign policy making is on culture and politics. The world of foreign policy is a complex
phenomenon. It involves in dealings with several countries. These international dealings have become a
vital component of foreign policy controls. Most accounts of the foreign policy process either directly or
implicitly draw on the metaphor of the foreign policy apparatus as a self-contained system that reacts to
stimuli in the external environment, consumes resources, and produces actions and decisions as outputs back
into an external environment (Gyngell and Wesley 2003: 21). Foreign policy is foreign relations and
diplomacy. It has another dimension of public policy which deals with the outer world. It tries to create an
international milieu which is conducive to the national interests of the countries. It is relations between a
country’s diplomacy and its sovereignty.
Objectives of Foreign Policy
The objectives of foreign policy are not limited to make a shift but also to manage the behaviour of other
countries by determining the persistence of favourable actions. Foreign policy is directed by the values and
ethics of a country. The countries are guided by the goals and objectives of development at global level. The
major component in foreign policy is the reaction to the events in international domain. Foreign policy is the
most significant aspect in conducting international politics. The purpose of foreign policy is aimed at
prevailing and protecting sovereignty of the country. Following are some of the objectives that are vital in
the formulation of foreign policy of a country: foreign policy promotes unity and integrity of a country,
foreign policy is aimed at fulfilling the interests of its citizens within and beyond the borders, foreign policy
also focuses on maintain the dignity and sentiments of the globe, and it tries to foster relations and develop
sustainable relations with all other countries to increase economic and technological co-operation among
themselves in order to pursue its own interests.
The study of foreign policy helps to solve the issue of the nation-states regarding the process of planning
and executing their activities in international affairs. The foreign policy of a country seeks to make
understand the nature and scope of the existing structure of power in the politics of international affairs. It
basically attempts to achieve the goal and objective of receiving honour for the country and getting edge
over other states at the international platform. It is designed, formulated and implemented to attempt to
resolve the issues and problems which are different in nature for every country in the world. The approaches
to foreign policy that are theoretical propose that countries across the globe are competing with other for
successful and productive decision-making and implementation. Foreign policy is one of the dynamic
concepts in the study of international politics, which aims to focus and explain various aspects that are
necessary to fulfill the interests of the country. The goal of the foreign policy is to ascertain the interests of
the nation-state and their attainment in effective manner.
Determinants of Foreign Policy
Foreign policy attitudes have not been measured or conceptualized in a secure way. Foreign policy is the
most important factor of political development. Foreign policy evaluations depend upon the caliber of both
think again results and equally the general policy-oriented phenomenon. The impact of foreign policy on
political evaluations is its tendency to focus on dramatic events such as wars and crises. There are
theoretical grounds to expect the same attribution process to mediate the relationship between foreign policy
views and political evaluation in foreign than in domestic or economic policy. At the analytical level the
field of foreign policy attitudes can be made by proposing and demonstrating the usefulness of a
fundamentally different approach. From American politics, two strands of democratic theory suggest
alternative views of the manner in which elected officials respond to public opinion (Foyle 1999: 02).
Kaarbo and other scholars view that “The lack of an overarching government in the international system is
one of the most important external conditions that affects foreign policy. Realist theory proposes that
anarchy is the characteristic of the international environment that makes international politics so
dramatically different from domestic politics” (Kaarbo et al. 2012: 07).
Long-standing concerns in both the US government and foreign relations point out to the normative
pressures of the neighboring role of public opinion in influencing foreign policy. As Bernard Cohen (1973)
demonstrated in a critical survey of the literature, “the constraining role of public opinion was often asserted
but rarely demonstrated—or even put to a systematic test” (Cohen 1973). Although not usually concerned
with public opinion and foreign policy, moralist views on this case are alike to the thinking of classical
realists. Kenneth Waltz and other Neo-realists decide among theoretical formulations and frameworks of
foreign policy and theoretical aspects of global effects, all the same, still bound the minds of classical
realists about public opinion and foreign policy. For example, John Mearsheimer observes, “Public opinion
on national security issues is notoriously fickle and responsive to elite manipulation and world events”
(Mearsheimer 1990).
In contrast, foreign policy analysis does not assume interests; rather, it seeks to empirically determine how
decision makers actually define their state’s interests (Breuning 2007: 167). Foreign policy makers advance
from the concern of individual interests to the interests of the groups. The domestic and international affairs,
their arrangements and their related social details stand as the platform on which the formulation of foreign
policy takes place. Foreign policy consideration is one of the most significant ways of approaching and
studying world politics. So far, this same focal point has been very much far away from some of the model
mechanisms in the study of world politics, which specified the structure and layer of analysis towards better
achievements.
Human rights have a topographic point in foreign policy. Baehr and Monique define that human rights are
internationally agreed values, standards or rules regulating the conduct of states towards their own citizens
and noncitizens. Human rights are, in the words of the Preamble of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR): ‘a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations’ (Baehr and Monique
2004: 03). But human rights change from these ideas of foreign policy in that they do not refer to such
practical interests. As Banerjee puts it, Assertive human rights diplomacy, similarly, can range from being
what it claims to be to being imperialism or aggression in disguise. One must independently judge the truth
of the claims of the instances of human rights diplomacy (Banerjee 2000: 181). Governments that want to
defend human rights abroad do not arrange for themselves an easy responsibility. The opportunity gives the
force to sustain international support from maintenance and advancement of human rights, and to address
the essential problems of law and government. Like most governments, the corporate world also became
more capable in the nomenclature of human rights and democracy.
The international human rights values that have been basically developed in the last decades help as a policy
for governments in protecting the rights of people of their own countries. Human rights have similarly
become part of the foreign policy of many nations. After its independence India became one of the pioneers
in championing the cause of human rights. India’s human rights diplomacy existed on the set up of an
ethical agreement on activating power within the governing body depending upon the part of the leaders. In
the present era of globalization, the ability of natural procedures that give way above national borders has
critically achieved better goals. Human rights concerns by policy makers in foreign policy can affect other
governments to improve the respect for human rights. Foreign policy concerning human rights must be
partly a policy for improving this machinery (Luard 1981: 22).
During the period of 1990s, human rights continued to be a root of doubt in the study of international
relations. International agencies responsible for checking the execution of international human rights
agreements keep on underfunded, weak and unable to discharge effectively a primary function for which
they were made, namely the resolution of conflict. Western policies were changeable, making many
governmental and Non-Governmental Organizations to ask, whether human rights were being changed to
the improvement of a specific administrative as well as financial agenda or towards better objectives.
Several aspects of Western policies raised questions of their good faith, and created dilemmas for NGOs.
Although other considerations were paramount, for example, human rights and humanitarian grounds were
invoked to justify the Gulf War in 1991 (Picken 2004: 97). The concern about associating the function of
force with human rights, various governments and NGOs called for international ways to address military
involvements.
Human rights have become the theme of protest and ways of pressure, and the mutual and all-party
governmental concerns are located in such a manner that it has become almost difficult to take no notice of
the view of human rights in international politics. Human rights are disturbed all over the globe. However,
human rights have become more and more a matter of the government and the relationship between human
rights and foreign policy. In addition, national variables that might be of influence about the status of human
rights in foreign policy will be consistent. The relationship between human rights and international politics
has given new scopes towards various aspects of the concept of human rights. Human rights are close to sound administration and the accountability of the exercise of power for the
collective benefit. All societies need attentive citizens and independent organizations to ensure that
governments are kept nice and fair, that states are abided by their international agreements and adopt their
responsibilities and obligations towards their own citizens with regard to human rights. Western societies to
guarantee respect for human rights worldwide could best express their oneness with people in a different
place to challenge the differences that describe western domestic and foreign policies in the present era.
Crucially, the shape of that integration is finally determined by what the leaders themselves bring to the mix
in terms of pre-existing thinking frameworks, specific approaches to the problem of political activities, and
model personality characters. Therefore, each leader will follow the principles of identity, ethics, and power
in a unique manner, and will process these inputs in individual ways to produce a worldview. This
worldview is then the footing for the foreign policy that leaders make.
The involvement towards actions in the world and government provide for clearer impression that leaders
are dynamic participants in the international relations and in the foreign policy formulations. Leadership in
foreign policy is a condition of sound management. Leadership in foreign policy is an activity of presiding
over people to collaborate in the accomplishment of common goals. The accomplishment of an agreement
depends upon the caliber of the leadership in foreign policy. Leadership in foreign policy is a propelling
power, which directs people towards better goals.
Neoclassical realism is a wider theory of foreign policy. It says that the scope and the goals of foreign policy
are based on a wider theory. The dimensions of neoclassical realism has little control and influence over the
study of international affairs. Neoclassical realism says that the scope and goal of a nation state’s foreign
policy are decided by the nation-state’s relative factual power towards its gutting of foreign policy.
Neoclassical realism builds upon the simple relation between the land and society found in the classical
realism without giving up the central understanding of the neo-realism about the controls of the study of
international affairs.
Classical realism focuses on the nation states to come together in the achievement of common goals about
concerned national power in the field of international politics and the problems that leaders have come
across in the loading of foreign policy. There is the shock of moral philosophy on foreign policy issues such
as military involvement, diplomacy, legal philosophy etc.
One of the significant issues in foreign policy is the ethical concerns. Since the formation of human
civilization, there has remained difficulty towards ethical concerns and influence of foreign policy to better
achievements. Moreover, no foreign policy has been totally devoid of ethical concerns. As Christopher Hill
points out, even Adolf Hitler’s Thousand Year Reich was, in its own grotesque way, ‘an ethic pursued
through foreign policy’ (MacDonald and Patman 2007: 16). But on the ethical issues of foreign policy
Brown has a different, altogether opposite view from that of Christopher. As Brown observes, From the
cosmopolitan point of view, all foreign policy is, by definition, immoral and unethical, simply because it is the policy of the state, an entity that is by its very nature immoral and unethical, even if it accurately
represents the values and interests of its citizens. From a cosmopolitan perspective only a world government
(or perhaps a world revolution) could provide the basis for an ethical politics (Brown 2004: 27).
In the early segment of twenty-first century, the most important ethical challenges were faced by foreign
policy. The importance of moral philosophy in foreign policy still carries importance in the twenty-first
century as it was of importance in the earlier period. The ethical foreign policy requires the presence of the
people and groups with critical reflections towards the regime about its practice. Foreign policy in its ethical
use needs that individuals and groups are set to hold serious return towards government actions. The clear
expression of an ethical foreign policy has provided the groundwork for others towards making a link
between policy and implementation. The government can shut down a business in a matter of hours; it takes
much longer for disgruntled customers to have such a drastic effect (Thomas et al. 2004: 58). Ethical foreign
policy, practically reflected, has much empirical importance of the challenges that states face at the moment,
and it offers normative reasons of the ethical help to those pragmatic developments.
What can one say exactly is the democratic role of this realism? An approximation, which is at the core of
democratic thought about whole, as persons, is likewise central to an ethical concern with research and
growth. Pragmatism works from the theoretical premises that all individuals are capable of intellect and
should have opportunities to lead their lives, and this demands that persons should have a say in human
action, which concerns them. The idea that consent should guide human relationships is an assumption
common to democratic thought. In pragmatism, this basic assumption drives inquiry towards growth
(Cochran 2004: 58).
Ethical concerns in foreign policies seem to be a likeness of the dynamism of the modern politics and help
the needs of the outsiders. The main point is that an ethical foreign policy calls for the existence of people
and groups who will hold up a vital expression of the government. The claim that such a consideration is
necessary is dependent on in part on success of the realist argument that the moral discourse of states in
theory heads new interests. The marked look of an ethical foreign policy is an innovative development.
A foreign policy that is ethical in practice needs that people and groups should be ready to pack up a critical
reflect on government action. In this respect, the explicit articulation of an ethical foreign policy has
provided a framework for others to make a comparison between policy and implementation (Fierke 2004:
144). So, it is clear that the set-up of an ethical foreign policy is extremely challenging.
The foreign policy of a country is defined by several factors. Generally, the components of the foreign
policy are of two types; internal determinants of foreign policy and external determinants of foreign policy.
Amer Rizwan (2009) claims that there are several internal and external determinants of foreign policy.
Internal determinants of foreign policy include territory, geographical factors, culture and history, economic
factors, technology, national capability, social structure, public mood, political party system, leadership, political accountability, bureau of press and bureaucracy. The external determinants of foreign policy
include international organizations and institutions, perception of other countries, standing at international
level, public opinion at international level and groupings.
Conclusion
The key features in the field of the foreign policy have become a contest between different comparative
perspectives. Foreign policy can be seen as guided ultimately by national survival the related objective of
exploiting opportunities that enhance state capabilities and a general predisposition against anything but
expedient forms of cooperation with other states (Webber and Smith 2002: 21). The foreign policy of a
country is determined by, both, the internal and external factors. Foreign policy making is one of the most
challenging tasks. Therefore, the leaders of a country are assigned with the responsibility of designing and
framing the foreign policy. Foreign policy making has not been considered as only the functioning of
internal and external factors but also the developments that evolve in the comparative global scenario.
Thus, foreign policy is combined with country’s long term goals and expectations as well as ambitions of its
leaders’ to play a significant role on world platform that gives ultimate shape to country’s foreign policy.
Foreign policy of any country is shaped of multiple internal and external factors. The major internal factors
that influence the foreign policy are geographical factors, culture and history, economic factors, technology,
national capability, leadership, political accountability, bureau of press and bureaucracy. At the same time,
external factors such as prevailing structure of international politics and defense strength of other countries
shape the aspirations in the making of the foreign policy. These factors combine together from the elements
and their equal contribution contributes the country’s foreign policy.
Foreign policy is the moral principle of a country. The countries are guided by the objectives of
development in international affairs. A key component of foreign policy is the response to the changing
international positions. Foreign policy is the most important element in international politics. The objectives
of foreign policy are concerned with sovereignty. So, foreign policy of a country is maintenance of
sovereignty and liberty. Foreign policy is the normative dimension of international politics. Values and
principles are major factors in foreign policy in international politics. Foreign policy is a dynamic and
comprehensive design based on knowledge and experience for conducting interactions and relations of
government with rest of the world.
A political system which is democratic in nature takes into account a number of factors while formulating a
policy. It keeps in mind the basic rights of the people and its responsibility towards them. The significance
of foreign policy is realized when secret intelligence and diplomatic operations are conducted. While
implementing foreign policy, global stability and democracy have an important role to play. The elements of
foreign policy change and they were not the same for the United States during the Cold War and in the 21st
century. The United States often devoted significant resources to economic development abroad in the postwar period and frequently offered economic advice to foreign governments designed in part to improve
the economic condition of their people (Johnson 1980: 09).
While devising the foreign policy, the country should not only take care of its national interests but also it
should consider the global welfare. In this inter-twined world each country’s action affects the other
country. So, the foreign policy should be devised in such a way that it promotes the country’s betterment as
well as the global good. So, an all-inclusive foreign policy can only make the world peaceful, secure and
prosper.
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