Foreign Policy Decision Making

Foreign Policy Caveats

• Individuals are important, but not the sole solution to problems. Blaming one person for a situation is often overly simplistic.
• Actions are always constrained by international and domestic factors, including government and bureaucratic processes. Decision-making processes are both rational and irrational.
• Foreign Policy is distinct from International Affairs. Foreign policy focuses on events and decisions, while International Affairs focuses on recurring patterns of events.

Ideal Decision Makers

• Decision-makers include presidents, policymakers, and members of the National Security Council (NSC).
• These individuals operate within bureaucratic structures with potential internal constraints (such as vetoes).
• These individuals often try to be rational, but their decisions may be influenced by emotions and personal biases.

Model of Decision Making (RAM)

• Clarifying goals is the first step in decision-making.
• Prioritizing goals by importance
• Listing alternatives and investigating the consequences of each alternative
• Choosing the best option based on a comparison of the outcomes
• RAM (Realistic Model) doesn't always work because of misperceptions and affective biases.

Personality Factors in Decision Making

• Leaders often exhibit in-group bias and a need for power.
• Groupthink, a deterioration of critical thinking due to the pressure for unanimity, is a potential issue in decision-making.
• Important leadership qualities include: dogmatism, authoritarianism, domineering, and narcissism.

Classifications of War

• Hegemonic War: A war for control of the entire world, typically large-scale and massive.
• Total War: A war where the entire society of the targeted enemy is considered a legitimate target.
• Limited War: Military actions aiming short of total capture or surrender of the enemy. Often localized, restrained, and focused on specific objectives.
• Civil War: Conflict between factions within a country.
• Guerrilla War: Warfare conducted by irregular forces operating within civilian populations.

Theories of War

• Scapegoat Argument: Attributing societal problems to a specific group.
• Diversionary Theory: Promoting conflict to divert attention from domestic problems.
• Power, Size, and Development: Competition for power and resources.
• Power Transaction Theory: Inequality in power distribution between hegemons and challengers.
• Arms Races: Competition leading to increasing military spending.
• Cycle Theories: War linked to economic cycles or recurring time patterns.
• National/Cultural Boundaries: Clash between different cultures and ethnic groups, as well as discrepancies between geographic boundaries and political ones.

International Law

• International law is a set of rules, regulations, and customs that states recognize as obligatory in relations with other states.
• It's essentially a codified system of norms, principles, and customary practices between nations.
• International law is based on the practice of states and customary behavior, rather than on top-down commands from an overarching authority like an international government.
• Important because it sets legal standards and procedures, including treaties and conventions.
• International law is enforced because of the desire to not incur negative consequences, such as retaliation, or reputation damage.

Human Rights

• Human rights are fundamental rights and freedoms inherent to all individuals, regardless of their nationality or other status.
• This includes the idea that all people are entitled to some level of fundamental rights and protections, as well as the belief systems in place that support these rights.
• Human rights can be presented in two categories:
  • Positive rights: those rights that governments and international treaties guarantee.
  • Normative rights: Those rights based on human dignity and moral claims.

International Criminal Law

• International criminal law deals with crimes affecting the international community, which include:
  • slavery
  • piracy
  • crimes against humanity
  • genocide
  • war crimes
  • torture

Torture

• Conditioning techniques are employed to coerce from the subjects (detainees).
• Corrective techniques can affect psychological wellbeing.
• Coercive techniques include physical and psychological stressors.

Explore the nuances of foreign policy and the decision-making processes that influence it. Understand the roles of key policymakers, the impact of international and domestic constraints, and how emotions can drive rationality in decisions. This quiz will challenge your understanding of the complexities involved in shaping national policies.