Understanding Foreign Policy

Foreign policy of a country is determined by a number of factors, as most of them keep on changing so with their evolution foreign policies keep on changes.

Every group of people having distinct language, culture, and ethnically should have their separate territorial space called Nation State. According to Woodrow Wilson, main cause of World War I was denial of state to people having a distinct demand for them based on some identify, cultural language or history.

 DETERMINANTS OF FOREIGN POLICY

Those factors that influence and determine the foreign policy of a country are it's determinants.

Internal Determinants:-

1. Historical and cultural influence:- The cultural and historical traditions of a country deeply influence the foreign policy. Equally important are the processes through which the contents of Shared norms and practices of society, as distinguished from the degree of unity that supports them in shaping their plans.
India's apprehensions of China and Pakistan are the product of their historical traditions.

2. Size and Geography:- The size of a state's territory as well as it's population greatly influences it's foreign policy. Size has been a factor in the foreign policies of the U.S.A , Russia, China, India, Brazil, France etc.

3. Population:- The strength of a nation depends upon the quality and quantity of its human factor. The enormous population of China enabled it to pursue a forceful foreign policy.
On the other hand the falling birth rate in France compelled her to toe a weak foreign policy during the interwar period.

4. Economic and Industrial Development:- Generally the industrially advanced countries feel more deeply involved in relations with other countries because they have to import goods. Again, an industrial country is expected to have a higher GNP and can invest more.

5. National Capacity:- National capacity of a state depends on its military preparedness, it's technological advancements and economic development. It is well known that United States which continued to pursue a policy of isolation till the beginning of the present century got deeply involved in the international arena due to tremendous increase in her national capacity due to rapid economic development. Similarly, the foreign policy of Britain underwent great transformation in the post World War II  period, mainly due to decline in her national capacity.

6. Political System:- Generally under authoritarian system quick foreign policy decisions are possible because the decision making power rests with an individual assisted by his clique.
On the other hand in a country possessing a democratic structure the citizens can freely express their opinions on the domestic as well as foreign policy which naturally leave it's impact on the foreign policy of the country.

External Determinants:-

1. Power Structure:-  The relations that nations establish among themselves are backed by their respective national interests and powers. The net effect is that international relations constitute a power structure in which the more powerful nations- the super powers and the major powers play a more vigorous and leading role than the relatively less powerful nations.
The emergence of the U.S.A and the U.S.S.R. as two super powers with cold wars in between them, made it imperative for the newly independent states like India,to adopt a policy of keeping away from the cold war and yet attempt to have friendly co - operation with both the super powers.

2. International Organizations:- These international organizations to varying degrees serve as modifiers of state behaviour and as independent actors in their own right. They have profound impact on the determination of the foreign policy of a state.
UN and other multilateral forums come to the rescue of the aggressed state.

3. Reaction of other states:- Being sensible to the sensibilities of other states, no state can adopt a unilateral policy. It has to take into account, and accommodate , if possible, the interests of the other stake - holders as well.

4. World Public Opinion:- The state, while formulating it's foreign policy has to take into account the world public opinion. The real strength behind the objectives of Disarmament, Arms Control and Nuclear Disarmament, Anti - colonialism, Anti - apartheid policies of various nations, has been the world public opinion.

5. Alliances and Treaties:- During 1945-90 both the United States and the USSR, recognized and used alliances as the means for consolidating their respective positions.
The realization for mutual inter - dependence has given birth to a large number of regional organisations, arrangements, agreements and trading blocks .
European Union, ASEAN, SAARC NAFTA,APEC,SCO and several others have been major players in international economic relations.

6. Economic Developmental Needs:- Pakistan and India are bargaining with Iran for the Iran - Pakistan - India (IPI) gas pipeline and with Turkmenistan for the Turkmenistan - Afghanistan - Pakistan - India (TAPI) gas pipeline project.
Qatar is also under consideration.

Diplomacy is often confused with foreign policy, but the terms are not synonymous. Unlike foreign policy, which generally is enunciated publicly, most diplomacy is conducted in confidence, though both the facts that it is in progress and it's results are almost made  public in contemporary relations.