Bachelor 2019/2020

Foreign Policy Analysis

Type: Compulsory course (HSE and University of London Parallel Degree Programme in International Relations)

Area of studies: International Relations

Delivered by: Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs

Where: Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs

When: 4 year, 1, 2, 4 module

Mode of studies: distance learning

Instructors: Maxim Bratersky, Andrej Krickovic, Dmitry Novikov, Tatiana Rudneva, Egor Yureskul

Language: English

ECTS credits: 7

Contact hours: 108

Course Syllabus

Abstract

The course is designed to give the students the tools to analyse, interpret and, ultimately, understand the dynamics of foreign policy generally so that they might apply these to the study of the role of states in international affairs. The course comprises 108 contact hours in total, divided into 54h of plenary lectures and 54h of seminars per each group.

Learning Objectives

• introduce the central concepts in foreign policy analysis
• develop comparative skills of analysis of differing foreign policies in practice
• promote critical engagement with the foreign policy analysis literature and enable to display this engagement by developing an ability to present, substantiate and defend complex arguments.

Expected Learning Outcomes

• identify and assess the processes involved in foreign policy decision making
• discuss the contexts, pressures and constraints with which foreign policy makers have to deal
• conduct comparative analysis of foreign policy without losing sense of historical context.
• Understands the concepts of Foreign policy and power
• Understands the role of rationality in foreign policy
• understands the Psychological approach and its critique
• Knows Allison’s three models of bureaucratic politics.
• Understands the differences between major, middle and small powers and their approaches to foreign policy
• Understands the role of external environment in foreign policy formulation.
• Understands the three approaches to assessing the role of domestic factors in foreign policy.
• Understands the role of non-state factors in foreign policy and the concept of complex interdependence.
• Understands the role of international recognition, domestic structure and charismatic leadership in foreign policy.

Course Contents

• Foreign policy analysis: an overview.
  Key concepts. Main approaches.
• Power, capability and instruments.
  Foreign policy and power. The national interest and the balance of power. Instruments of foreign policy.
• The foreign policy of states in transition.
  International recognition and foreign policy. Domestic structure and foreign policy. Charismatic leadership and foreign policy.
• Transnational actors and foreign policy.
  Intergovernmental organisations. Non-state actors. Complex interdependence and foreign policy.
• The role of the domestic environment.
  The sociological approach. The structuralist approach. The pluralist approach. The two-level game.
• The role of the external environment.
  The role of the material environment. The role of the international political environment. Determinism.
• Major, middle and small powers.
  Major powers and the search for primacy. Middle powers and multilateralism.
• Bureaucratic politics.
  Allison’s three models. Critique of the bureaucratic approach.
• Perception, cognition and personality.
  Psychological approach and its critique. Group decision making.
• Rational decision making.
  Rationality and foreign policy. Critiques of rational decision making. Bounded rationality, cybernetics and polyheuristics.

Assessment Elements

• Seminar activity
  All students are expected to attend every class and participate by listening attentively, contributing to discussions and participating in group projects. Students’ statements and answers to questions must contain well formulated arguments that clearly show their position. To do this, students must demonstrate a quality preparation for the seminar: read all the assigned literature and be ready to perform a critical evaluation of it. Students can get up to 3 points per seminar. The distribution of points is the following: 0 Absence without a valid reason 0.5 Present, minimal contribution 1 Present; little contribution 2 Present; sophisticated contribution 3 Present; outstanding contribution Should the total number of points contain decimals, they are rounded to the nearest whole number (.5 is rounded up). The total number of points is then converted to a 10-point scale grading system
• Mock 1
  Your exam will be held online. You should submit a paper via Google-Forms platform in 3-hours period. All further details will be send to you directly by the professor.
• Mock 2
  Your exam will be held online. You should submit a paper via Google-Forms platform in 3-hours period. All further details will be send to you directly by the professor.

Interim Assessment

• Interim assessment (4 module)
  0.25 * Mock 1 + 0.25 * Mock 2 + 0.5 * Seminar activity

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• Kaarbo, J. (2019). A foreign policy analysis perspective on After Victory. British Journal of Politics & International Relations, 21(1), 29–39. https://doi.org/10.1177/1369148118791717
• Morin, J.-F. V. (DE-588)1102221635, (DE-576)470119381, aut. (2018). Foreign policy analysis : a toolbox / Jean-Frédéric Morin, Jonathan Paquin. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edswao&AN=edswao.496982249

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• Pope, R. S. (2014). US interagency regional foreign policy implementation : a survey of current practice and an analysis of options for improvement / Robert S. Pope.