1. 50.501 Introduction to IR(04)
Foreign Policy Decision Making
Lecturer: Nirosha Seelaratne
International Pacific College
nseelaratne@ipu.ac.nz
2/07/2016

2.  Strategies of governments use to guide
their actions toward other states
 Different states use different strategies
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What is a foreign policy ?

3. Think
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How do you make important
decisions in your life ?

4.  It is a decision making process
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Foreign policy process

5. 5 steps of decision making
1.Identifying/clarifying the decision to be
made(Identifying the situation)
2. Identifying possible decision options
3. Gathering/processing
information(choose)
4. Making/implementing the decision(act)
5. Evaluating the decision 2/07/2016
Decision making

6. 1. Rational actor(Rational Choice) or
unitary Government model
2. Organizational process model
3. Government politics model
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Models of foreign policy decision
making

7. This theory(model emerged as a
political analysis tool during 1950’s
End of the WWII and beginning of the
cold war)
prominence of Realist thought in
international relations, particularly in
the US
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1. Rational actor or Unitary
Government model

8. Basic assumptions:
1.People are rational
2. Rationality does not carry any
suggestions of normative behavior
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Rational actor or Unitary
Government model

9. 1.Clarify goals
2.Order them by importance
3.List the alternatives for achieving the goals
4.Investigate the consequences of each alternative
5.Chose alternative that best achieves the goals
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Rational actor or Unitary Government
model

10. Psychological stresses acting on leaders
during a crisis( Actors are not always in a
perfect situation to make decisions)
Threat to important values
Governments are made of individuals
with different goals
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Rational actor or Unitary
Government model: Criticisms?
limitations

11.  “management by muddling through”
 Relying on standardized responses or
standard operating procedures
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2. Organizational process model

12. Policy decisions result from the
bargaining process among various
government agencies
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3. Government bargaining model

13. EVERY INTERNATIONAL EVENT IS
THE RESULT, INTENDED OR
UNINTENDED OF DECISIONS
MADE BY INDIVIDUALS
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14. Harry Truman and WWII
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15.  Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe
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Case study (1)

16. Bureaucracies
Interest Groups
Public Opinion
Legislatures
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Factors influence foreign policy
decisions

17. All states maintain a foreign service
Diplomats working in embassies in
foreign capitals
States appoint ambassadors as their
official representative
Diplomatic activities are organized
through a foreign ministry
Some diplomats are political appointees
and some are career diplomats 2/07/2016
1.Bureaucracies

18.  Embassy: represents the diplomatic office of
a country in the capital of another country.
 High commission: commonwealth countries
use this term in their countries to represent
the embassy of one country into another
country
 Consulate: represents the branch office of a
country’s embassy into another country

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Embassy, High Commission &
consulate

19. 2/07/2016

20.  Coalition of people who share a
common interest
 Businesses, labour unions, churches,
veterans, senior citizens,
 Lobby groups
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2.Interest Groups

21.  The process of talking with legislators, officials to
influence their decisions
3 important elements of lobbying:
a) Ability to gain a hearing with busy officials
b) Ability to present convincing argument for one’s
case
c) Ability to trade favour in return for positive
action
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Lobbying

22. Governments need legitimacy to
survive
Legitimacy
a institution or ruler has the right to
govern
Popular acceptance of authority
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3. Public opinion

23.  Propaganda
Evil propaganda techniques of Nazis
Posters
Anti-Semitism - Scapegoating of minorities
Radio - Controlling mass media
Film and Cinema - Controlling the social sphere
Newspapers - Controlling the press
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Governments tools to get public
support

24. Anti-Communist Propaganda -
Demonizing political opposition
Mythology, Folktales and Religion -
Focus on a national myth
Music and Opera - Absorbing high
culture
The Fuhrer (Leader)
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Nazi propaganda

25.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9fEM-MfSiU
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Hitler

26. Personalities, values, beliefs and
common psychological factors of
individuals
Psychology of groups (mis
perception, selective perception,
emotional biases
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Other factors influence policy
decision making

27.  Thank You
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