FOREIGN POLICY

DEFINITION OF FP

It is useful to distinguish diplomacy from FP whereas diplomacy refers to the manner of conducting one’s relation, FP refers to the matter. Foreign Policy is about ‘the fundamental issue of how organized groups, at least in part strangers to each other, interrelate’(Hill 2003:xvii). Foreign policy has its origins in the presupposition that there exists a boundary between (at least) two units. However, this does not mean that they are completely isolated from each other. One’s action influences and is influenced by the other’s. That is, these units are interdependent.

Foreign policy’s objective is achieving specific goals defined in term of national interest which is tend to involve such abstract goals as self-preservation, security, national well-being, national prestige, the protection and advancement of ideology, and the pursuit of power. We can say foreign policy is for finding ways and means to preserve and promote vital interests of those organized groups (Hill 2003:3; White 2004b: 11).

FP AS COMPLEX PHENOMENON

The key problem of FP making and diplomacy is that of translating the relatively vague and general interest of a nation into concrete, precise objectives and means. Decision makers must deal with many variables in the international milieu where as the concept of national interest usually remains the most constant factor and serves as a guidepost for decision makers in the policy process. Besides that, FP actions are difficult to evaluate. First, short-range advantages or disadvantages must be weighed in relation to long-range consequences, second is their impact on other nations is difficult to evaluate, third is most policies result in a mixture of successes and failures that are hard to disentangle.

SOURCE:

-          Tezcan, Mehmet. Free Journal of University of Brussels (VUB), Department of Political Science and Institute for European Studies (IES)