UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI

FACULTY OF ARTS

INSTITUTE OF DIPLOMACY AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

BACHELOR OF ARTS IN INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

NAME: GERRY ROLLINS ODHIAMBO

REG NO: R67/100611/2017

COURSE: FOREIGN POLICY ANALYSIS

CODE: RMA 203

LEC NAME: Dr. MUMO NZAO

QUESTION: TO WHAT EXTENT CAN A COUNTRY’S FOREIGN POLICY BE

SHAPED BY FACTORS EXTERNAL TO IT? SUPPORT YOUR ANSWERS WITH

RELEVANT EXAMPLES.
INTRODUCTION

Foreign policy can be explained as a course of action that a government takes when interacting

with other states and non-state actors in the international system. various scholars have put in the

various definition of foreign policy but one thing remains constant these common elements are

human beings and decision making as in while interacting with one other decision are always

made and human beings that stand in place of states who can be the heads of states are the ones

that make these decisions. Foreign policy is what states will decide to do or not to do.

Each nation uses its foreign policy as a basis on how it intends to interact with other states in the

international arena hence, we can say that a nations foreign policy will likely change how other

states foreign policies will be because a change of policy in one area will automatically

necessitate a change in other areas of the world.

More saw we can add that foreign policy is a tool that a nation uses to induce others so that it can

work in their favor to achieve their objectives e.g. Kenya can set its foreign policy in a way that

Tanzania has no option but to oblige even though in a way it favors Kenya the most it's the way

it is your foreign policy is supposed to give you an upper hand against the others. Nations foreign

policy can also be determined by a lot of factors, these factors may make a nation either change

or review its foreign policy some of these factors can be external factors this, how these external

factors shape a nation foreign policy forms the basis of this paper.
EXTERNAL FACTORS THAT SHAPE FOREIGN POLICY

In formulating foreign policy states do not act just rationally, they must follow their guidelines

on when and how to make rules that will always favor them however not all the time that states

will get it their way because there are factors that shape how a nation will formulate its foreign

policies here we are going to look at these external policies that determine how nations foreign

policy will take which road. These external factors include;

POWER STRUCTURES

The power structure has been in existence since the Treaty of Westphalia of 1648 the structure

has included major powers, middle powers and small powers each conducting their business

using their foreign policies and their primary objective was to maintain their sovereignty and

security which is the ultimate goal in the international arena. But how this structure changes

influences nation-states foreign policy. The world has seen the powers structure change from a

multipolar to bipolar to unipolar and each played a role in shaping the nations of the worlds

foreign policy for example in the multipolar world it was easier for states to change sides or

alliances according to their preferences or according to the way one sees as a way to gain

maximumly, for example, Italy used this advantage to switch sides during the World war I to

gain its share in the post-war colonial arrangement. But if we look at when the power structured

to bipolar this was not possible because the world was divided into two, one block was loyal to

the US and the was loyal to the USSR each nations foreign policy was almost being determined

by their respective blockheads hence even if you don't gain from the way your policies have been

put in place was not an issue as long you have pleased your master.
But the end of the Soviet Union signaled the end of the bipolar world and the emergence of a

Unipolar world where the structure of power was placed in the hands of one single power that is

the US who had the power to call the shots in the international arena so each of the world's

policy had to be made in a way the US sees it as satisfying, for example, Bush’s „either with us

or against us‟ sort of declaration made many states from the margins of the system to come

forward and play effective roles in the so-called Global War on Terrorism (GWOT). This was

strictly adhered to because it was a point of no option for states but to follow the rules as they

come. So hence there is no doubt that the change in the power structure is changing nations

foreign policies for example the effect of the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, the growth of

Communist Power in China in 1949, the emergence of Hitler in Germany, and the emergence of

new states in Asia and Africa are some significant events that brought about ample changes in

the power structure of the world and that has influenced and the foreign policy of many states.

Hence therefore it’s fair to say every type of power structure at the international level has its

particular dynamics and its impact on the foreign policies of states.

So as earlier stated the power structure and interactions of states at the international level play a

significant role in shaping and molding the foreign policies of these states that are interacting in

the international arena. The world is continuously changing, new events and personalities create

fresh foreign policy problems for all concerned1. To select events at random, the impact of the

Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, the rise of Communist Power in China in 1949, the rise of De

Gaulle to power in France and Hitler in Germany, and the emergence of new states in Asia and

Africa; brought about significant changes in the power structure and that has impacted the

foreign policy of many states.

1
. Kissinger HA (1966) Domestic Structure and Foreign Policy. Daedalus 95: 503-529.
INTERNATIONAL LAW

International law can be defined as a set of rules and regulations that regulate how states interact

and relate with each other in the international arena some scholars define it as "a system of rules

created deliberately and explicitly by states where states have expressly willed to be bound to"2

States abide by these rules because they shape the basis of their foreign policies and also, they

are deeply involved in the making of these rules and are sometimes responsible to enable them in

enacting their foreign policies. However not all states abide by the set of rules and some tend to

ignore hence shifting their policies in the alternate direction because each state is concerned

with its national interest for example some proponents of realism argued that international law

has a little or independent effect on the foreign policy of states e.g. Hendin argued that "one

major purpose of foreign policy is to maintain foreign international order so that states can

peruse national interests" hence in this realist view states tend to ignore the norms in place when

they see their interests are at risk e.g. US invasion in Iraq in 2003 under the Bush administration

provides a clear illustration of this3.

By engaging in the sets of the rule that states abide by leads to the formation of International

Organizations that states abide by or linked to this makes states to surrender some degree of their

sovereignty for the cause of the organization hence getting guidance from the constitutions of the

organization by this the policies of the states will undoubtedly be affected depending on the

nature of the institution and being subjected to abide by force, for example, the way IGAD gave

the republic of South Sudan an ultimatum of 100 days to solve the dispute in the country or else

they will assume control of the nation this led to a peace pact being formed almost less than 3

days to the deadline you can say the duty of the nation to form a pact was mainly influenced by
2
Sotong MDL (2013) International Law and Foreign Policy: a mutual influence.
3
Iraq War (2003),
the organization rather than them solemnly. And again the law sometimes changes our policies

on how we should treat cases to do with the crime against humanity every nation has their courts

and judges but why should we be subjected to take these people to the International Criminal

Court but we are all bound by the rules hence our policies on how this should be treated also

changes thus after acquittance from the ICC we heard the President of Kenya said it high time to

amend their policies and see how we can have our courts dealing with this matters.

ALLIANCES

It's defined as two forces joining to form one stronger power hence each is accumulating for the

other in their weaknesses it is considered one of considered the most curious aspects of

international relations and the cornerstone of security policy. It's a strategy that states use in

formulating and implementing their implementing foreign policies. For some, they generally

view that alliances are some sort of agreements between states to render military support against

an external threat under predetermined conditions.4

Counting the informal linkages, Walt defines an alliance as a ―formal or informal relationship

of security cooperation between two or more sovereign states‖ having ―some level of

commitment and exchange of benefits for both parties5. Out of the two definitions, it is clear that

alliance is a tool to maintain the balance of power in the international arena with little adjustment

in the domestic institutions. While security remains the topmost priority for countries around the

world, they often go for alliances making to secure its sovereignty. Therefore, the states mold

their Foreign Policy accordingly to maintain goodwill with alliance partners. They usually offer

4
Stephen M. Walt, The Origin of Alliances (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1987), pp. 12–13, and Glenn H.
Snyder, Alliance Politics (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2007), p. 4. In Walt’s conception, they can be
formal or informal; in Snyder’s, they are formal arrangements.

5
Stephan M. Walt, The Origins of Alliances (New York: Cornell University Press, 1987) 1
various defense and economic assistance to their alliance partners and exchange technologies and

ideas for mutual benefit.

A nation may change its way of doing things depending on the alliance it forms with others in

that it may be forced to cut ties with other states to please its new friends this is because of some

benefits one may achieve in the formed alliance or it can respond to the request of their new

partners to refrain from taking actions that will be contrary to the wish of the newly formed

alliances hence many scholars of the international relations asserted the alliances serve as

instruments of foreign policy.

For example, “the extensive and intensive system of alliances that emerged in the post-1945

period had a big impact on the foreign policies of all the nations. During 1945-90, both the

United States and USSR recognized and used alliances as the means for consolidating their

respective positions." And also, still during the height of the Cold War, neither the members of

the 'Warsaw Pact' nor those of the 'North Atlantic Treaty Organization' (NATO) could pursue an

independent foreign policy but to the one laid to them to follow by the superiors6. And even now

some still believe that the US still considers NATO as the mainstay of its foreign policy in

Europe.

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION

A state's location can at a greater length influence or shape its foreign policy this include where

its located, who are its neighbors what natural resources border the state, it population an so on

for example in a case like Kenya we can say its position in East Africa has a hand in shaping its

foreign policy because of its location on the Indian ocean that plays a major role as the gateway

6
. Caitlin S (2012) Personality in Foreign Policy Decision-Making.
to into and out of eastern and central Africa especially to the landlocked nations also its ethnicity

plays a role in shaping its foreign policy that overlaps along community borders.

WORLD PUBLIC OPINION

When formulating its policies, a state has to take into account the world opinion views I mean we

have to go with the trend because the world is changing through globalization the world is not

into some kind of a rollercoaster hence options change so our policies have to follow the same

trend to be able to make our impact felt in the international stage and more saw we should not

forget that for the public opinion to be taken into consideration it must be supported by the

domestic opinion because the last a state would want is to conflict its pokies with the

stakeholders in its state.

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

There are over ten thousand international organizations in the world some are active but others

are inactive, these organizations still have a hand in shaping states foreign policy this is major

because they are formed by states to govern the interactions between states on the international

stage and majorly because states are bound to them leading them to surrender part of their

sovereignty hence every decision states makes in terms of their policy will always be closely

monitored by the organizations and due process must be followed for example the issue of Brexit

the UK decided to cut its ties from the European Union however the decision was not just

accepted by the European body but a series of sittings and votings was to be carried out to

extremely cut its ties, pulling out of the Union might be a way of making its foreign policy but it

will be influenced by the European Union because the UK is bound to the laws by the Union.

DIPLOMACY
It's a tool by which foreign policy of a nation travels beyond its borders while establishing

contacts with other nations and it's through diplomacy that states try to secure the goals of

foreign policy in their relations with other states for example during the late 1960s where

contacts between India and Chinese diplomats helped the emergence of definite trends towards

normalization of Sino-Indian relations. Also, it is through diplomacy that India and Pakistan

have been trying to initiate and adopt confidence-building measures. We should also not forget

that ethics in diplomatic interaction is also an important determinant of the foreign policy of a

nation for instance Indian’s ethical stance in various instances such as the recently adopted

CBDR clause in climate conference has a strong bearing on its foreign policy and its well-

acclaimed ethical record makes it a promising partner for various countries especially the

developing ones.

TECHNOLOGY

The level of technology has been an important instrument in shaping the foreign policy of

nations, especially in the major powers states. Having technological advancements as a state will

enable it to influence other states' foreign policy for example Indian's dependence on developed

states for getting advanced technology had been a limiting factor for its foreign policy. Also, the

US has always used technology to influence or put pressure on developing countries

RELATIONS WITH MAJOR POWERS

At the global stage, the states with major powers drive the course of the world order even though

there are no clear criteria to be classified as a major power. These great powers bear the power to

persuade and dictate the international activities either directly or indirectly, the potential regional
players termed as 'regional powers'7 also, influence the policy decision of the surrounding

countries. So, maintaining a good relationship with such major powers will facilitate more

opportunity for the state so with the rise of the new eastern giants, the center of power has been

shifted into Asia, while the countries were trying to cope with the western powerhouses during

the nineteenth and twentieth century. It poses new challenges to the decision-makers to modify

their Foreign Policy accordingly to have better coordination with these emerging powers.

Therefore, one cannot ignore the major power factor in Foreign Policy decision making.

CONCLUSION

A state will always need a good comprehensive foreign policy to attain its objectives and manage

its national affairs with other states to make the co-existence more peaceful and also the foreign

7
2Miriam Prys, Redefining Regional Power in International Relations: Indian and South African Perspectives, (Oxon:
Routledge, 2012) 3-5
policy requires a well-laid foreign policy decision-making technique thus the success of these

external factors will always depend on the effectiveness of the policymaking decision tools.

Generally making of these policy outcomes depends on leadership qualities that are in the center

of the policymaking units.

These external factors will always lead the direction of a state when it comes to foreign policy

analysis because a state will always formulate a policy that favors its operations and its citizens

hence it can be fair to say that external factors have a great influence in making of foreign policy

more than the internal factors and its also important to note that these factors are somehow bound

to each other important. After all, one factor will always lead to another and some of them are

dynamic hence the foreign policy of nations keeps on changing from one form to the other. In

addition to these factors, certain developments at the international level such as the development

of thermonuclear technology, the onset of the cold war and military alliances, elimination of

colonialism have exercised a profound influence on the foreign policies of different countries.

The creation of the United Nations has also left a mark on the foreign policies of different

countries.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Caitlin S (2012) Personality in Foreign Policy Decision-Making.

Iraq War (2003),

Kissinger HA (1966) Domestic Structure and Foreign Policy. Daedalus 95: 503-529.

2Miriam Prys, Redefining Regional Power in International Relations: Indian and South African

Perspectives, (Oxon: Routledge, 2012) 3-5

Sotong MDL (2013) International Law and Foreign Policy: a mutual influence.

Stephan M. Walt, The Origins of Alliances (New York: Cornell University Press, 1987) 1

Stephen M. Walt, The Origin of Alliances (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1987), pp. 12–

13, and Glenn H. Snyder, Alliance Politics (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2007), p. 4. In

Walt’s conception, they can be formal or informal; in Snyder’s, they are formal arrangements.