Foreign policy analysis - Essay Example

?Topic:  Foreign Policy Analysis The Rational Actor Model is unrealistic and therefore of little use in the analysis of foreign policy-making”. Critically assess this claim using the example of the Cuban missile crises. According to Rational Actor Model, the government is seen as a unitary actor and policy making is done keeping in mind the cost and benefit analysis. This model assumes that policy makers are faithful and execute their role with full justice. This model is unrealistic because it is logical and asses policy on basis of cost and not on its ulterior motive and subject value. In this model, the investigation is made to understand the rational thinking of the person involved in policy making. As per (Zakiuum,2009)“The Rational Actor Model is used to understand the decisions that a nation-state or organization makes”. In Rationale Actor Model the goal and objective of a country is analyzed primarily. In Cuban missile crisis, Russian president installed nuclear missile in Cuba to defend Cuba from Unites States. The objective of then U.S. president Kennedy was to obstruct communism in the western region. Kennedy has attempted to overthrow Castro and his government many times but was unsuccessful. In this Cuban missile crisis, Kennedy wanted maximum to avoid a nuclear war which was on a brink of happening. He analyzed many options but decided blockade of Cuba as it would initiate a positive response from Russia. “On October 20, 1962, President Kennedy directs implementing a military blockade on Cuba: a full "quarantine", preventing anything or anyone from going into or leaving Cuba”(Marxist,2000).Here the cost of the policy is not taken in to consideration but the safety of United States was in mind of Kennedy. It is not necessary that always the political leaders will act in rationale manner as human mind is egoistic. 2. Evaluate the impact of re-unification on Germany’s foreign policy. The German re-unification was a treaty signed between two German states in October 3rd 1990 in Berlin. This event has shocked the world and triggered many chain of actions. The re-unification had a tremendous impact on allies of Germany as they thought things were happening too fast and the international security can be at risk. America and Great Britain assumed that Germany’s unwillingness to sign NATO membership even can create more trouble. According to the (Emabssy of ,2011)“United Germany’s integration in the foreign policy context was regulated under a separate treaty signed by the two German states and the four allied powers”. The new German policy implies a considerable shift in the country’s stand towards Europe and other foreign nations. As per (Hellman,2011)“These foreign policy self-image changes are extensive and profound, and pertain not only to the self-image of a small foreign policy elite, but that of the German public in general”. Being a unified country, Germany is more confident and is trying relentlessly for a permanent seat in U.N. Security council. Germany also participated in the “P5 plus Germany” which is comprised of U.N. security members to discuss about the nuclear activities of Iran. Germany has showed its self confidence in its relation with foreign nations especially with European Union and Afghanistan. Not only European Union is t he centre of German foreign policy but its allies with U.S. regarding NATO membership is strong. Germany as a unified nation also shares a close tie with Russia. 3. Assess the impact of political change and instability on Russia’s foreign policy. The Russian foreign policy is significantly affected by the internal political factors and the action of executive leader .While U.S governors visited foreign nations to promote business, Russian governor Tatarstan formulated his own laws regarding foreign investment and attempted to build alliances with UN and other international organization without the consent from central authority. In his article(Charap,2007)states that “Along with other predominantly Muslim republics, Tatarstan actively conducted “identitypolitics”—aiding and supporting other Muslim communities—both within Russia andbeyond its borders”.Even Tatarstan made agreement with Iran government on economic and commercial cooperation in 1996 .Russia also conducted talks with Georgian government on scientific, socio- economic, cultural and technical co- operation. Russian foreign policy agendas were significantly affected by the conflicts in regional administration. The Chechnya’s destabilization in 1996 – 1999 also had a direct impact on the foreign policy of Russia as it changed to a forceful policy promoting more national interest and enhancing the political security of the country. The Russia is not keeping an amicable relationship with the west and they are neither in or out with west. Even though US and Russian relationship suffered tension on issue related to NATO and U.S.missile defense proposal in East Europe, both countries had common views on non – proliferation and anti- terrorism issues. However, Russia’s conflict with Georgia in 2008 escalated tension between the countries and the Obama government played a major role to settle the conflict. The Recent civil war in Libya also has raised the security concern of Russian along with the nuclear threat from Iran. “Russia has historically occupied an extremely awkward geographical position that made its foreign policy orientation with other great powers awkward”(Kwan,2011). 4 . “Since the end of World War II British foreign policy has consisted of the management of decline”. Assess this proposition. The British foreign policy sustenance has a direct link with the economic stability of the country .It is believed that economic performance is important to the British foreign policy both in terms of how other see Britain and in terms of resources. Diplomatic skill cannot considerably compensate for economical weakness and along with the social disintegration, the foreign relation of the country can dwindle. Britain has lost its political stability due to its conflict among political parties, civil disobedience and alienation from political institutions. The growing social complexity in the country has impacted on the foreign policy of the country. The social openness of the country to outside influence is another factor which impacts its foreign policy formulation. The international environment in which Britain operates also has significant impact on the country’s foreign policy as it is more concerned with Western world. From the traditionalist approach it can be reviewed that a trend occurred in British foreign policy after the Second World War where it changed from an imperial and global power to second rank power. As per (Smith,1988,pg 18) “ The course of modern British foreign policy can be described in terms of the inextricable decline of British National strength and its resulting loss of power”. British society is home to large number of MNCs and it is interdependent to many societies and hence the context of British foreign policy has transformed in many dimension. This transformation has rendered a considerable decline in the British power with relate to significant frame work of constraints and opportunities. In his article (Wearing,2011)mentions that “The de facto purpose of Britain’s foreign policy has traditionally been to advance the interests of concentrations of social and economic power, not to reflect the will or the interests of the general public, or to promote liberal, humanitarian values”. References A.Zakiuum. 2009. The Rational Actor Model. [ONLINE] Available at: http://ahmadzakiuum.bl ogspot.com/2009/09/rational-actor-model.html. [Accessed 04 August 11]. Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany London. 2011. A short history of German reunification. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.london.diplo.de/Vertretung/london/en/01/Feste/Ta g__der__Deutschen__Einheit/History__of__reunification__seite.html. [Accessed 04 August 11] G.Hellman. 2011. Normatively Disarmed, But Self-Confident German foreign policy 20 years after re-unification. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.ip-global.org/2011/01/31/normatively-disarmed-but-self-confident/. [Accessed 04 August 11]. Marxist. 2000. The Missile Crisis . [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.marxists.org/history/cuba/s ubject/m issile-crisis/ch03.htm. [Accessed 04 August 11] S.Charap. 2007. Inside Out: Domestic Political Change and Foreign Policy in Vladimir Putin’s First Term. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.demokratizatsiya.org/bin/pdf/DEM%2015-3%20Charap.pdf. [Accessed 04 August 11] Smith, M., 1988. British foreign policy: tradition, change, and transformation. 1st ed. London: Routledge Y.Kwon. 2011. Russia frets over Eurasian domino theory . [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.atimes .com/atimes/Central_Asia/MF03Ag01.html. [Accessed 04 August 11] Wearing,D. 2011. Understanding British Foreign Policy in the Middle East. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.newleftproject.org/index.php/site/article_comments/understanding_british_foreign_policy_in_the_middle_east. [Accessed 04 August 11 Read More