State's Foreign Policy: Determinants and Constraints
By Anthony M. Wanjohi
This paper briefly
discusses determinants and constraints of state’s foreign policy. It is divided
into the following sections: definition of foreign policy, determinants of
foreign policy, constraints of foreign policy and conclusion.
2.0 Unpacking the term
Foreign Policy
A country's foreign
policy, also called the international relations policy, is a set of goals
outlining how the country will interact with other countries economically,
politically, socially and militarily, and to a lesser extent, how the country
will interact with non-state actors. Foreign policy is primarily concerned with
the boundaries between the external
environment outside
of the nation state and the internal or domestic environment, with its variety
of sub-national sources of influence. (Webber and Smith,
2000). Foreign policies are designed to help protect a country's
national interests, national security, ideological goals, and economic
prosperity. This can occur as a result of peaceful cooperation with other
nations, or through exploitation.
3.0 Determinants of
States’ Foreign Policies
In general terms there
are three determinants of foreign policies in any given state. These include
its power, objectives and leadership. These have both domestic and
international influence. This section highlight on
these determinants and exclusively explores on both domestic and international
determinants of foreign policies.
3.1 States’ Power,
Objective and Leadership
Within domestic
politics, power is usually based on numbers, wealth, and organizational skills.
A small group that is well organized may exercise considerable influence even
without large sums of money. In international politics, power depends on
both geopolitical factors and idiosyncratic factors. Inequalities
of State Power. Different states in world differ in their powers.
The US is the world’s super power, hence
have greatest influence in its foreign policies. There are also micro-states
and various territories that are not self-governing or not independent such as
colonies. Power of state depend on the following: Location (coastal or
landlocked); size (large or small territory); population; Natural Resources
(oil, iron ore, forests); Technology; Type of Government (dictatorship or
democracy); type of Economy (market or centrally planned); Size and Equipment
of Military (nuclear or conventional) and belief systems of Country. (UCC, 2007).
3.1.2 Objectives of
Foreign Policy
The objectives of any
state give direction to its foreign policies. Such objectives may vary greatly
but all states seek to preserve themselves, maintain their independence, and
security. For instance, economic development has played a dominant role in
shaping Kenya’s foreign policy. The need to pursue an open economic
policy and the demand for foreign capital and investment flows and
inter-alia FDI, has influenced Kenya’s
approach to foreign policy. (GoK,
2009).
It does matter who is
elected to be the President of a particular country. Leaders and the elites who
support such leaders help to shape the foreign policy of their respective
countries. (UCC, 2007)
3.2 Domestic and
International Determinants
Determinants of state’s
foreign policy can also be categorized into Domestic and international
determinants.
Internal or Domestic
Determinants on States' Foreign Policies focus attention "on variations in
states' attributes, such as military capabilities, level of economic
development, and types of government (Kegley, 2008).
Military
Capabilities: This include the size of military, Equipment,
Training. Leadership and nuclear or non-nuclear
capabilities.
Economic
Capabilities: Stages of
Industrialization: Wood, Coal, Oil, Nuclear, Renewable Resources.
Gross national product, Per Capita GNP;
Type of Economy:
Free Market Economics, Centrally Planned Economies, Socially Steered Market
Economies.
Type
of Government: Constitutional
democracies (presidential systems and parliamentary systems). Autocratic Systems (authoritarian and totalitarian). Military Dictatorships. Political
Party Systems. Traditional monarchies
(Saudi Arabia). Modern theocracies (Iran).
3.2.2 International or
External Determinants
The geopolitical
location of a state is one of the external determinants on its foreign
policy. It matters where on the globe a country is located. It
matters whether the country has natural frontiers: that is whether it is
protected by oceans, high mountains, or deserts. It matters who one's
neighbors are and whether a given country is territorially large, populous,
affluent, and well-governed. For instance, Kenya’s foreign policy in the region
has been shaped by factors such as the presence of overlapping ethnic community
across borders and being a littoral state of the Indian Ocean which influences
relations with landlocked neighbors
4.0 Constraints Facing State’s Foreign
Policies
A country’s Foreign
Policy is determined by two broad considerations: the domestic and the external
environment. Constraints may stream from factors imposed by the international
system and human agency that is, from the role of individual choice in shaping
the international system. This section explores constraints in two fold, namely
domestic and international constraints.
4.1 Domestic Environment
Issues
The domestic environment
refers essentially to features, factors and
forces peculiar
to the state on which foreign policy is being made. The domestic
environment includes
geographical location of the state, its peculiarity, natural and
human resources, the
nature of the political system, quality of leadership, the
nature of
the interaction among groups in the society (Otubanjo,
1999). Domestic environmental factors have great impact on the decision/policy
making of a
country.
For instance, foreign policies in Kenya today are influenced (even constrained)
by such domestic factors as political system (coalition government), national
integrity and sovereignty, Regional Integration (in East African community) (GoK, 2009).
4.2 International
Foreign Policy Issues
International foreign
policy issues have their roots from outside, that is external. For instance,
the major international foreign policy issues facing America today include but
may not be limited to the following (Quinn and Kerry, 2008):
a) War
on Terrorism and Al Qaeda
b) Taliban
Insurgency in Afghanistan
c) Iran
and her Nuclear Weapons Threats
d) Middle
East Peace Process between the Israelis and Palestinians
e) Shutting The U.S. Military Prison at Guantanamo Bay
f) Climatic
Change Issues
To attain its set goals
and interests in foreign policy, any state continues to seek effective
strategies in its approach to foreign policy depending on its power, objectives
and leadership. The objective to promote economic development mainly
influences any state’s approach to foreign policy while maintaining its
traditional core principles and norms of non-alignment, non-interference in
internal affairs of other states, good neighbourliness and
peaceful settlement of disputes.
GoK(2009). Kenya Foreign Policy . Retrieved February 8,
2010 from http://www.kenyamission-un.ch/?About_Kenya:Kenya_Foreign_Policy
Kegley,
A. (2008). World Politics, 11th Ed Rev. London:
Otubanjo, F. (1990). Foreign Policy
Analysis. Unpublished Thesis.
Quinn,
A. and Kerry, F. (2008). Foreign
policy challenges facing America Retrieved February 8, 2010 from
www.reuters.com/
UCC (2007). Foreign Policy. Retrieved February 8, 2010 from
http://faculty.ucc.edu/egh-damerow/foreign_policy.htm
Webber,
M. and M. Smith (2000). Foreign policy in a
transformed world. Harlow: Prentice-Hall.
Suggested Citation in APA
Wanjohi, A.M. (2011). State's Foreign
Policy: Determinants and Constraints. KENPRO Publications. Available
online at http://www.kenpro.org/papers/foreign-policy-determinants-constraints.htm
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