Internal and external determinants of foreign policy?

Answer 1

There are basically two kinds of determinants of foreign policy i.e.

Internal Determinants of foreign policy:

1) Size

2) Geography

3) Culture

4) history

5) Economic development

6) Technology

7) National capacity

8) Social Structure

9) Public Mood

10) Political organization

11) Role of Press

12) Political accountability

13) Leadership

External Determinants of Foreign policy:

1) Power structure

2) Internal organization

3) Reaction of other states

4) Alliances

5) World public opinion

Answer 2

Foreign policy is a system of action of one government toward another, a state toward another state or of a government toward an international organisation. Foreign policy are designed to promote, protect and defend a nation's vital interests such as the preservation of national sovereignty, the defence of territorial integrity, promotion of economic, military, strategic and diplomatic interests. There are 5 major factors that influence foreign policy decisions according to James Rosenau. These are external or global environment, societal environment, the governmental setting, the roles occupied by policy-makers and the individual characteristics of the policy-making elites. 1. The external or global environment refers to the attributes of the international system and characteristics and the way both states and non-state actors behave constitute the external source category. 2. Individual characteristics of the policy making elites refers to the idiosyncratic variables or the individual characteristics of the decision-makers - his values, talents, prior experiences that distinguish his foreign policy choices or behaviour from those of every other decision maker. 3. The role sources, on the other hand, refer to the effect of the office the foreign policy makers occupy in their policy making. Roles are important due to the fact that these decision makers are definitely affected by the behaviours socially prescribed for them and also the legally-sanctioned norms with which they have to comply. The roles would occur regardless of the idiosyncrasies of the decision-makers. 4. The societal variables include the non-governmental aspects of a political system that influence its external behaviour. Major value orientations, degree of national unity, the extent to which it was industrialized are among the societal sources. 5. Finally the governmental sources are to be noted. The governmental structure a state has is also influential in the foreign policy making process. The relations between the executive and the legislative organs of a state are very important in this respect. This category more or less pays attention to the means the policy makers adopt in order to realize particular objectives. Reference 1. Rosenau, J., 'Pre-theories and Theories of Foreign Policy', excerpt in J. Vasquez (1996), Classics of International Relations, 3rd Edition, New Jersey: Prentice Hall