State Level Analysis Somu

8/9/2019 State Level Analysis Somu

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State Level Analysis


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State-Level Analysis

State-level analysis assumes that since

states are the most important international

actors, world politics can be bestunderstood by focusing on how states

decide foreign policy.


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Foreign Policy

A country's foreign policy, also called the

international relations policy, is a set of

goals outlining how the country will interactwith other countries economically,

politically, socially and militarily, and to a

lesser extent, how the country will interact

with non-state actors ;


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How foreign Policy made?

Foreign policy is not formulated by a single

decision making process.

Instead, the exact nature of that processchanges according to a number of

variables, including the type of political

system, the type of situation, the type of

issue and the internal factors involved.


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Foreign Policy Making actors

Foreign Policy is not a

clam, cerebral process;

Instead it is a clash of

ideas and test of

political power and skill

to determine which of

many policy proposals

will prevail.

Actors political

executives,

bureaucracies,

legislature, politicalopponents, interest

groups & people


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Head of Government


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Bureaucracies

Every state, whatever itsstrengths or type ofgovernment, is heavily

influenced by itsbureaucracy;

Bureaucrats are careerpersonnel, asdistinguished from thosewho are politicalappointees or electedofficials.


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Of course, there is

always abureaucratic threat

Its a very good question

you ask, because

sometimes the intended

policy doesnt necessarily

get translated throughout

the levels of government

because ofbureaucratic

intransigence


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Legislature

Role of legislature is less

than executive branch in

Foreign Policy making;

Legislature in non-democratic

countries systems generally

rubber-stamp the decisions of

the political leadership;


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Role of Legislature in Democratic

Countries

Chief executive usually have extensive

legal powers in the realm of foreign policy;

Belief that a unified national voice is

important for successful foreign policy.

Legislators tend to focus on domestic

policy because, accurately or not, most

voters perceive it to be important thanforeign policy & make voting decisions

based on this sense of priority;


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Political Opposition

In every political system,

those who are in power

face rivals who would

replace them, either tochange or to gain power.


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Interest Groups

Are private

associations of people

who have similar policy

views and whopressure the

government to adopt

those views as policy.


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Cultural Groups

Many countries have

ethnic, racial, religious

or other cultural groups

that have emotional orpolitical ties to another

country.


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Economic Groups

Traders lobby for

favorable legislation

and for support of their

interests in othercountries.


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People

Public opinion plays

major role;

Domestic issues like

education, healthcare, economy, job

etc more important

than global issues;


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Gender Gap

More men prefer war

compared to women;

Just before Gulf war

62% of American mencompared to 41% of

Women favored

military action.


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Public Opinion

The war in Afghanistan

rivals the war in Iraq as

a top foreign policy

concern, according toa CBS News/New York

Times Poll conducted

in February 2009.


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Public Opinion

That poll found

Americans almost as

likely to choose the war

in Afghanistan as thewar in Iraq for the foreign

policy area that the

public wants the

President and Congressto concentrate on most.


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Public Opinion


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Are Indias foreign policy institutions

undermining the countrys rise?Daniel Markey, a senior fellow at theCouncil on Foreign Relations, writesin this months issue ofAsia Policythat Indias own foreign policyestablishment hinders the country

from achievinggreat-powerstatus.

He argues that Indianeeds toreform and expand the foreignservice anddevelop stronger

foreign policy research byincreasingaccess to information,investingin think tanks andimproving university education.

Whats wrong with India's Foreign Policy?


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Whats wrong with India's Foreign Policy?

Institutions charged with researching,formulating, debating, and implementing foreignpolicy are too often underdeveloped, in decay,or chronically short of resources.

In particular, Indias diplomatic service, think-tanks, and universities are not yet up to the taskof managing an agenda befitting a great power.

As a result, even a wealthier and more powerfulIndia may remain politically inconsequential,unable to set forth and implement a realisticglobal agenda or to exercise internationalleadership.

State Level Analysis Somu

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