FOREIGN POLICY:

Determinants of Foreign Policy

Daw Khin Sandar Tun,Lecturer
Department of International Relations
University of Mandalay

1
Objective of this Course

• The objective of this course is to provide students with an

introduction to the field of foreign policy.

2
What is Foreign Policy?

• Foreign policy is a set of guidelines adopted by one nation in

regards to its diplomatic dealings with other countries.
• Foreign policies are strategies devised by governments to guide
their actions in the international arena

3
 Objectives of Foreign Policy

Foreign policy objectives means

the things that statesmen pursue in
the course of their interactions with
other states

4
 Four basic aims:
1. National security

2. Economic advancement

3. Safeguarding or augmenting
national powering
relation to others.

4.International prestige

5
Determinants of Foreign Policy

Various factors influence the

making of foreign policy of a
particular country

• 1. Domestic determinants
• 2. External determinants
6
 Domestic Determinants
1. Geography
2. History and Culture
3. Economic Development
4. National Interest
5. National Character and National
Morale
6. Political Structure
7. Social Structure
8. Ideology
9. Public Opinion
7
 1. Geography

This is the most stable

determinant of foreign policy

This includes the size of the

territory, topography, location
relative to sea and landmasses
relative to other nations and
control of strategic places
8
Size means the total landmass that
a state controls or exercises its
sovereign authority on

But a large area contributes only

to a state’s power if it is capable of
providing it with the capacity of
containing a large population and a
large and varied supply of natural
resources
9
Location means the position of
state in relationship to other land
bodies and to other states
profoundly affects the culture,
economy, both its military and
economic powers
 Climate plays a crucial role in
determining a state’s foreign
policy
Climate does affect national
power of state 10
Topography is another important
geographical feature affecting foreign
policy decisions
It not only determines the density of
population which a region can support
but also the climate of the land

the strategic position of mountains ,

valleys, rivers, plains and deserts not
only helps in communication but also
in matters of security
11
Natural resources of a state
improve its bargaining capacity
internationally

Huge possession of resources

does not add up to one’s strength
but the utilization of the
particular product does

12
 2. History and Culture

The political tradition of a state

has its roots in its history and
culture

The historical and cultural

traditions provide the basic
guidelines for formulating the
basic foreign policy objectives
13
 3. Economic Development
Economic performance of a state in
terms of GNP provides the key to
understanding the state’s ability to
utilize its natural and human
resources which in turn influences its
foreign policy choices and menu
The levels of high economic
development provide leverage to the
countries to flex their muscles in
their relations with economically
weak countries 14
 4. National Interest

National interest changes with

the changing needs of time and
circumstances either in the
domestic front or internationally
eg. political, economic and military
But national interest while
formulating the foreign policy of a
state is of supreme importance
15
5. National Character and National Morale
 National character finds
expression in international
relations through the
perceptions , reactions and
behavior patterns of decision-
makers though many scholars
disregard the importance of
national character as an important
output of foreign policy 16
National morale is an elusive
category and consists of a state
of mind which sometimes can be
called patriotism or love of
country

17
 6. Political Structure

The political structure of a state

and the nature of ruling elite to a
great extent influence the
formulation of foreign policy of a
state
Sudden changes in the government
of a state are a source of changes
in the course of foreign policy
18
 7. Social Structure
A strong cohesive society
provides chances for a strong
policy because social factors are
also important
Thus, it is not possible to ignore
the internal components of the
external policy of a state

19
 8. Ideology

Ideology is defined as a cluster of

interrelated ideas about
government, economies , society
and history

often plays an important role in

the conduct of foreign policies of
states
20
 9. Public Opinion
In a democratic state it is
impossible for the government to
ignore the importance of public
opinion in both domestic and
foreign policies

 Public opinion does set the limit

for the domestic as well as the
foreign policies 21
 1. International Regimes and Organization
The foreign policies of the states have
to operate taking into consideration
the external environment also
The first and the most important
factor that constrains or influences
the making of foreign policies is the
presence of international laws ,
international treaties, trading blocs
and various international and regional
organizations
22
 2. World Public Opinion
World Public opinion has now come to
play a crucial role in constraining
foreign policy choices
In today ICT world, there has been an
increased consciousness among the
people and there is an extensive p-to-
p contact have facilitated the
generation of world public opinion on
issues such as human rights,
environment , war and peace and
other related issues 23
3. Foreign Policies of Other States
The external environment of a state
consists of the presence of other
states

The formulation of a foreign policy of

a state has to take into consideration
the behavior of other states and their
foreign policy choices
24
Foreign policy objectives of a
state have to be stated specific in
the sense that it should maneuver
its foreign policy choices
according to its relations with
states those that are friendly and
those that are hostile
Therefore, foreign policy has to
be engineered to get the desired
result
25