Importance of Foreign Policy and Their Principles

Foreign policy is a substantial need in today’s age. The importance of foreign policy is accepted worldwide because it helps countries to maintain diplomatic relations with each other. Foreign policy helps a state to interact with other states by having set objectives and activities. Foreign policy helps a nation maintain good relations with other states through bilateral as well as multilateral platforms. However, there are a number of factors that can affect the foreign policy of a state. These include the domestic deliberations, policies of other states and strategies to advance geopolitical designs, etc.

Leopold von Ranke, a leading German historian of the nineteenth century, stated that the geography of a state and the external threats imposed on it plays a substantial role in formulating foreign policy.  However, later on, experts emphasized that it actually depends upon domestic factors. The tool of foreign policy is considered to be diplomacy. Furthermore, war, international trade, and alliances are all manifestations of it. Its relevance with concepts as hard as war further highlights the importance of foreign policy.

Importance of Foreign Policy for a State

The main purpose of foreign policy is to protect the national interest of a state which further highlights the importance of foreign policy. It helps in clearly reflecting the national policies as well as traditional values of a country. Therefore, the importance of foreign policy is that it helps the national governments to devise strategies, guidelines, methods, and agreements and assist them in dealing in the international arena. Sovereign states interact with other nations while keeping in view their foreign policy. Therefore, it would not be wrong to say that foreign policy acts as a charter.

The charter of foreign policy consists of the national interests of a nation. It also clearly shows on which points a state can agree with the other state and in which domains it is not possible. However, the sole reason behind the possibility of agreement and disagreement is the national interest of a state. A nation, depending upon its needs, can also introduce changes in its foreign policy.  Nevertheless, the changes in foreign policy are never because of one’s choice but because of need and necessity.

Principles of Foreign Policy

Each and every nation has a pre-defined set of objectives that it aims to achieve with the help of its foreign policy. These objectives are related to the national interest of the state. Some key principles for the development of foreign policy are described below:

• Maintaining geographical integrity and political independence with other states.
• Accelerating the process of social and economical development within the state.
• Increasing the individual strength of a state.
• The foreign policy goals of a state must complement international standards.

The Analysis of Foreign policy

It is certainly not possible to deny the importance of foreign policy. In fact, it is such an important concept that it requires continuous analysis. The discipline of foreign policy is really complex. There are a number of actors that impact the decision-making process. These actors can be both, internal and external. It is always advisable to have a method of analysis with the help of which it could be analyzed how the state is conducting its foreign policy, diplomatic endeavors, and international relations.

Experts, over the period of time, proposed five main models which are briefly discussed below:

• The Rational Actor Model: As per this model, the major actor in foreign policy is a rational individual. This individual could be relied upon as being well informed, able to take calculated decisions and could enhance the perceived benefits for the country.
• Bureaucratic Politics Model: It focuses on decision-making done by various independent and competing individuals from within the state. Every individual entity brings values to the decision-making process.
• Organizational Process Model: This model for foreign policy analysis focuses on government institutions. As per this model, the decisions regarding foreign policy are examined in the bureaucracy.
• Inter-Branch Politics Model: This model is very similar to the bureaucratic process model and organizational process model discussed above. However, it does not focus on individual goals and results. Rather, it analyzes the actions and outcomes on the basis of combined efforts.
• Political Process Model: This model was developed by Roger Hilsman. He states that the decision-making process in foreign policy constitutes of various different actors. They mainly include senior and key political figures however; it has representation from all levels of the government. According to Hilsman, the ideology of each member, providing their input in the process, is important. On the other hand, critiques state that it is very similar to bureaucratic politics in order to make a significant contribution to the field of foreign policy analysis.

Conclusion

The foreign policy of a country can be referred to as all the policies that are required in order to maintain relations with other countries as well as pursue national interests. The importance of foreign policy depends upon the fact that a state focuses on developing self-interest strategies.  In recent years, due to globalization, a state has to deal with not only state actors but non-state actors as well. This interaction is monitored in order to enhance the benefits of multilateral international cooperation. Governments develop foreign policies while making use of high-level decision-making processes.