Foreign Policy Terminology List PDF

Foreign Policy - Terminology Word Definition Foreign Policy Alden and Aran: the ever-changing study of how states, institutions and people engage with one...

Foreign Policy - Terminology Word Definition Foreign Policy Alden and Aran: the ever-changing study of how states, institutions and people engage with one another within a dynamic international system. Hill: The sum of official external relations conducted by an independent actor (usually, but not exclusively, a state) in international relations. Foreign Policy Analysis The study of the conduct and practice of a relations between different actors, primarily states, in the international system (Alden and Aran) Diplomacy Macro-level activity whose fundamental purpose is to enable a community to cope with the outside world and to manage the sum of the complex relationships which any actor will have with other factors of a challenging environment. the practical articulation of an actor’s external aspirations, purposes and policies. Entails the official practices through which actors (generally, but not exclusively states) interact with each other. State A sovereign political organization with a defined territory, centralized government, and the authority to make and enforce laws, conduct foreign affairs, and defend its borders. The state holds the institutions, dispositions and territory that make it possible for governments to exist. Bilateralism Grouped negotiations between 2 countries Multilateralism Grouped negotiations that consist of more than 2 countries Domestic refers to the internal factors, issues, and dynamics within a country that influence its foreign policy decisions. These domestic factors can include public opinion, economic conditions, political institutions, interest groups, political parties, and leadership preferences. Micro level analysis The individual decision-maker (individual leadership) in foreign policy. Foreign policy is determined by the decisions/decision-making processes of individuals as the most important determining factor. Property of Ella Bosman - Please do not share  Meso level analysis Domestic context and determinants of foreign policy. Foreign policy is the outcome of all things that happen in the domestic context or environment. Macro level analysis The position of states within the broader systemic/ international system factors. Foreign policy is shaped by systemic factors. Foreign policy analysis explores the composition of the international system through which we can understand the decisions made within states. Policy The particular decisions and standard procedures of an actor’s behavior. The effort to carry through some generally conceived strategy (usually on the basis of rationality) to achieve objectives. Values Something that is of significance/ importance for an actor. Used to direct our lives. Can also be defined as a foundational system of beliefs Agents/ Actors Thentities capable of decisions and actions in any given context. They may be single individuals or collectives and they can be characterized by conscious intentions or patterns of behavior (in part are strategic). Nation Group of people that conceives itself to have a common identity, history and density. Nation-state A political entity characterized by two key components: Nation: A group of people who share common cultural, linguistic, ethnic, or historical traits, and often a shared sense of identity or collective belonging. State: A sovereign political organization with a defined territory, centralized government, and the authority to make and enforce laws, conduct foreign affairs, and defend its borders. Structures the sets of factors which make up the multiple environments in which agents operate, and they shape the nature of choices, by setting limits to the possible but also by determining the nature of the problems that occur (the very nature of our world). Government a temporary holder for power while the state holds the institutions, dispositions and territory that make it Property of Ella Bosman - Please do not share  possible for governments to exist. Civil Society independent groups of civilians; exists externally. Units Useful ways to divide the world up conceptually to understand space and time (the 21st century). Can also be component parts of the system (capitalism) Non-state actors Non-state actors are entities that operate independently of any particular state government and often influence international affairs without having official governmental authority. They can be economic, social, political, or even violent in nature. Sub-state actors Sub-state actors are entities within a state that have political, economic, or military power but do not operate at the level of the central government. They can have varying degrees of influence over domestic and international affairs and may seek greater autonomy or power within the state’s framework. State actors State actors are the recognized, sovereign governments that represent nation-states in the international system. They hold the primary authority to govern within a defined territory, make laws, engage in diplomacy, and conduct foreign policy. National interest Acting to serve the objectives and best promotion of individual states (based on political culture, history and demographic) Anarchy No overarching leviathan/ definitive rule setter exists in the global system. There is no system of global moral guidelines Rationalism Decisions are made to maximize utility and gain and minimize loss. Sovereignty A central legal concept in the current international system, and an attribute that is difficult to acquire and lose. Refers to a state's capacity to exercise independent choices. Bureaucratic Politics Societal structures and the constraints/ influence the Approach pose. The demands of bureaucracies such as ministries influence decisions in ways previously unstated theoretically. Material/Hard Power power by virtue of attributes (what we have) Property of Ella Bosman - Please do not share  Ideational/Soft Power power to persuade/ persuasion or influence. (Often represented in symbols/ appeal/ ideas). High Politics serious conflict touching on the state’s basic concerns (monetary, military, etc.) Issues that have risen to the attention of high-level decision-makers because of their potential to cause conflict. Low Politics routine and non contentious, at a time, exchanges contained with knowable limits and rarely reaching the public realm. Hegemony refers to the dominance or leadership of one state, group, or entity over others, often in political, economic, or cultural spheres. In international relations, hegemony typically describes a situation where a single state exercises significant influence or control over other states, shaping global norms, rules, and systems to its advantage. Geopolitical shift Refers to significant changes in the global balance of power, influence, or strategic alignments between states or regions. These shifts typically involve changes in the relative power of countries or blocs, altering their roles in international relations and affecting global political, economic, or military dynamics. Westphalian system states cannot intervene or take away the sovereignty of other nations. (The right of a state to determine its own affairs) Voluntarism Free will (people are not constrained in the choices they make). More popular view in FP. Pluralism exists in that decisions are never constrained. It is just a decision of who will make the decisions and fill the spaces. Determinism choice is illusionary, or at least highly constrained - people make decisions based on historical forces. Realism Defines an international system defined by anarchy. The main actors of politics within the international system are nations. Given the condition of anarchy, states always need to act in their own national interest (own best interest) and will always behave rationally (cost-benefit). Aim is Maintaining the balance of power. This is achieved by being cautious and careful in policy through forging alliances and not engaging in destructive acts. The foreign policy is always in the Property of Ella Bosman - Please do not share  interest of serving the nation state (sovereignty and security) Neorealism Variation of classical realism. Understands the international system as being a system of international rivalries. Because there is no set rules, states rival each other for influence or dominance Therefore, foreign policy should accommodate relative distributions of power in the world. States should strive to maximize their power vis a vis other states, and their Foreign policy should reflect this. Pluralism Focus: Interaction of diverse state/non-state; international/domestic factors. The transnational environment is an unstructured, mixed actor that outweighs the power of the state individually. Liberalism Liberalism is a political ideology centered around the principles of individual liberty, equality, democracy, and the protection of human rights. It advocates for limited government intervention in the personal freedoms of individuals, free markets, and the rule of law. Liberalism also emphasizes the importance of institutions that uphold civil liberties, political pluralism, and democratic governance. Positivism Facts are objective and provable. Constructivism Accounts of the world are shaped by subjective preferences. Understanding of the world is through the knowledge of how events have come to be produced. objects the idea that an objective reality exists and that it is in a natural state of affairs. Rejects taking this system at face value. Asserts that reality is socially constructed by humanity. Behaviouralism focuses on measurable and observable things and uses them to explain the world. Foreign policy outputs (such as actions or decisions) are the main focus of understanding the foreign policy. This is the epistemological approach that Realism is grounded in Comparative Foreign the systematic study and comparison of the foreign Policy policies of different countries. It seeks to understand the similarities and differences in how states conduct international relations, make decisions, and interact Property of Ella Bosman - Please do not share  with other global actors. This field of study looks at why countries pursue specific foreign policy strategies, how domestic and international factors influence their decisions, and what outcomes result from these policies. Postmodernism refers to the application of postmodernist ideas and critiques to the study and practice of international relations and foreign policy. It challenges traditional, state-centered approaches to foreign policy by questioning foundational assumptions, such as the idea of fixed national interests, objective truths in international relations, or the clear distinction between domestic and foreign spheres. Postmodernism, in this context, emphasizes the role of power, discourse, and subjectivity in shaping how states and international actors interact. Post-colonial theories examine how the legacies of colonialism and imperialism shape contemporary international relations and foreign policy decisions. These theories focus on the power dynamics between former colonial powers and colonized nations, emphasizing issues of identity, representation, and resistance. They critique dominant narratives in foreign policy that often ignore or marginalize the perspectives and experiences of postcolonial states, highlighting the ongoing impacts of colonial history on political, economic, and cultural relations in the global arena. Cognitive decision making Refers to the process by which policymakers interpret, analyze, and respond to international events and challenges based on their perceptions, beliefs, and mental frameworks. This approach emphasizes the role of cognitive biases, heuristics, and the individual or collective cognitive styles of leaders and decision-makers in shaping foreign policy outcomes. It highlights how factors like prior experiences, information processing, and psychological predispositions influence decisions rather than solely relying on objective data or rational calculations. Societal sources of FP refer to the influence of domestic social factors, such as public opinion, interest groups, cultural values, and civil society organizations, on a country’s foreign policy decisions and actions. These sources shape policy makers' perceptions and priorities, often reflecting the interests and beliefs of various segments Property of Ella Bosman - Please do not share  of society. Marxist approaches IR explained in terms of class, economic exploitation, neocolonialism Feminist approaches critiques the gendered nature of the international political system and domain. Centrally Political Aspects actions, statements and values relating to how an actor advances its main objectives in shaping the external world. ”Black Box” of Foreign This means that foreign policy is not only understood in Policy terms of the macro-level. Micro influences are very important. We tend to look at the state as a unified decision-maker, but we must break it up into its constituent parts. Move beyond realism). Expand understanding beyond states. Billiard ball view The international order is the ‘billiard ball’ table. It is the idea of an international system composed of individual states that bash up against each other to win and take others out. Zero-sum game a situation in which one party’s gain is exactly balanced by another party’s loss. In other words, the total amount of resources, benefits, or outcomes remains constant, so any advantage gained by one player is achieved at the direct expense of another. Rational actor theory Assumes that foreign policy is the result of state actors deliberating on maximizing gains and minimizing costs (maximizing utility). Given the anarchical system (serving state interest first), how do they go about formulating policies and engaging with other states at the least cost to myself and the most gain to my state. Homo economicus homo sapiens (reference to human beings), a concept from economics which is akin to the idea of the rational-actor model. The individual economic being always conducts business rationally to maximize gains and minimize losses. Structure-agency debate Scholars are divided on the degree of influence of structural factors *Structural factors = constraints of the international system and human agency Property of Ella Bosman - Please do not share  FPA tends to place greater emphasis on agency than the proponents of IR. Actor-structure theory Concerns the relationship between agency and structure. Do agents (those capable of action) shape the structures or do structures shape agents? Links issues of causation, freedom/free will and determinism. *There will be no solution to the problem. It is assumed that both are interrelated. Cannot be reduced to any single pattern or assumption of causation. Domestic Peace theory Assert that democracies inherently produce a more peaceful foreign policy, at least in relations with other democratic states. Actor-general theory the actors is not only the state, it is broken into many parts Property of Ella Bosman - Please do not share