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Regular version of the site

Foreign Policy Analysis

2023/2024
Academic Year
ENG
Instruction in English
6
ECTS credits
Course type:
Compulsory course
When:
4 year, 1, 2 module

Instructor

Course Syllabus

Abstract

Why and how particular foreign policy decisions are being made? Why did it produce a failure or bring an unexpectable success? The course both overviews different approaches to the foreign policy analysis and implies the application of approaches to the analysis of the real cases of foreign policy decision making. The course focuses on priority explanation of foreign policy outcomes by domestic political factors, which influence the decision-making of political leaders, give the constraints and incentives. The course examines different theoretical approaches to foreign policy analysis, including the role of bureaucracy, public opinion and emotions, as well as constructivist and rational-choice explanations of foreign policy decision making, and concept of the two-level game.
Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives

  • To introduce the key approaches to foreign policy analysis
  • To develop skills of deep analysis of foreign policy outcomes
  • To develop skills to analyze domestic-foreign policy linkage
Expected Learning Outcomes

Expected Learning Outcomes

  • Is able to analyze foreign policy outcomes
  • Is capable of executing applied analysis of the political phenomena and political processes
  • Is capable of retrieving, collecting, processing and analyzing information relevant for achieving goals in the professional field
  • Knows the key approaches to the foreign policy analysis
  • Is able to analyze the domestic-foreign policy linkage
Course Contents

Course Contents

  • Introduction to FPA. Foreign Policies and Political Regimes
  • Rational Actor Model and the Foreign Policy
  • Two-Level Game and Foreign Policy
  • Bureaucratic Politics and Organizational Model of Foreign Policy
  • Public Opinion and Foreign Policy
  • Psychological Theories of Foreign Policy: Groupthink and Emotions
  • Operational Codes and Foreign Policy
  • Foreign Policies and Institutional Settings
Assessment Elements

Assessment Elements

  • non-blocking In-class Participation
    Seminars evaluate students’ progress and ability to critically assess the readings. The component is calculated as an average grade achieved on the seminars
  • non-blocking Written assignment
    Written assignment is focused on application and critical analysis of international relations theories and based on the material of the online course “Understanding international relations theories”
  • non-blocking Teamwork
  • non-blocking Final exam
    The final exam is conducted in a form of an individual essay. The deadline for the essay will be announced in the middle of the course.
Interim Assessment

Interim Assessment

  • 2023/2024 2nd module
    0.4 * Final exam + 0.4 * In-class Participation + 0.1 * Teamwork + 0.1 * Written assignment
Bibliography

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

  • Alex Mintz, & Dmitry (Dima) Adamsky. (2019). How Do Leaders Make Decisions? : Evidence From the East and West, Part A. Bingley: Emerald Publishing Limited. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=2107620
  • Beasley, R. K., & Kaarbo, J. (2014). Explaining Extremity in the Foreign Policies of Parliamentary Democracies. International Studies Quarterly, 58(4), 729–740. https://doi.org/10.1111/isqu.12164
  • Carlsnaes, W. (1992). The agency-structure problem in foreign policy analysis. International Studies Quarterly, 36(3), 245. https://doi.org/10.2307/2600772
  • Fearon, J. D. (1994). Domestic Political Audiences and the Escalation of International Disputes. American Political Science Review, (03), 577. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsrep&AN=edsrep.a.cup.apsrev.v88y1994i03p577.592.09
  • Hudson, V. M. (2005). Foreign Policy Analysis: Actor-Specific Theory and the Ground of International Relations. Foreign Policy Analysis, 1(1), 1–30. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-8594.2005.00001.x
  • Hudson, V. M., & Vore, C. S. (1995). Foreign policy analysis yesterday, today, and tomorrow. International Studies Quarterly, 39(3), 209. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=asn&AN=9601194480
  • Joshua D. Kertzer, & Thomas Zeitzoff. (2017). A Bottom‐Up Theory of Public Opinion about Foreign Policy. American Journal of Political Science, (3), 543. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajps.12314
  • Kevin H. Wang. (1996). Presidential Responses to Foreign Policy Crises. Journal of Conflict Resolution, (1), 68. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsrep&AN=edsrep.a.sae.jocore.v40y1996i1p68.97
  • Marsh, K. (2014). Obama’s Surge: A Bureaucratic Politics Analysis of the Decision to Order a Troop Surge in the Afghanistan War. Foreign Policy Analysis, 10(3), 265–288. https://doi.org/10.1111/fpa.12000
  • Morin, J.-F., & Paquin, J. (2018). Foreign Policy Analysis : A Toolbox. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1672782
  • Noone, H. (2019). Two-Level Games and the Policy Process: Assessing Domestic–Foreign Policy Linkage Theory. World Affairs, 182(2), 165–186. https://doi.org/10.1177/0043820019839074
  • Qingmin, Z. (2016). Bureaucratic Politics and Chinese Foreign Policy-making. Chinese Journal of International Politics, 9(4), 435–458. https://doi.org/10.1093/cjip/pow007
  • Stuart N. Soroka. (n.d.). ARTICLE Media, Public Opinion, and Foreign Policy. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.9F83003B
  • Weeks, J. L. (2008). Autocratic Audience Costs: Regime Type and Signaling Resolve. International Organization, (01), 35. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsrep&AN=edsrep.a.cup.intorg.v62y2008i01p35.64.08
  • Whyte, G. (1989). Groupthink Reconsidered. Academy of Management Review, 14(1), 40–56. https://doi.org/10.5465/AMR.1989.4279001

Recommended Additional Bibliography

  • Kuperman, R. D. (2001). Rules of military retaliation and their practice by the State of Israel. International Interactions, 27(3), 297–326. https://doi.org/10.1080/03050620108434987