FOREIGN POLICY
- A statement of national goals as limited both
absolutely and relatively by national power
- (FSI) set of guidelines articulated by the
government within a country to promote its
national interest through the conduct of its
relations with other countries.
- Task of foreign policy is to first determine
its own hierarchy of interest and then to
examine the scale of interests manifested in
the principles or practices of other nations’
foreign policies.
2 Approaches
1. Ideological Approach
- Relationship based on socio-cultural,
economic, and religious beliefs.
- Foreign policy may be classified into:
Democratic or Totalitarian
Libertarian or Socialist
Peace-loving or Aggressive
- Foreign policy is considered a function of a
political system in action or of the
preferences or convictions of political
leaders who carry out the government’s
program.
2. Analytical Approach
- Relationship based on shared-culture,
tradition and historiography.
- Policy rests upon multiple determinants
including the state’s historic traditions,
geographical locations, national interest,
purposes, security needs and so forth.
West - democratic states (America)
East – socialist/communist (russia, china)
STATE
- Capacity to craft foreign policy because it is
sovereign
Sovereignty – a state has the absolute right to do
within its borders what it wishes to do and the idea
of independence in which a state is free from
external control by any country is subject to
limitations imposed on state action by both
international law and the rules and sanctions of
international organizations such as United Nations
to which the state might belong to.
Formal Limits brought by Convention.
STATE VS. NATION
State – a community of persons more or less
numerous, permanently occupying a definite
proportion of territory, independent of external
control, and possessing an organized government to
which the great body of inhabitants render habitual
obedience.
Nation – shared common language, culture, history,
tradition and identity
Elements of a State
- People
- Government
- Sovereignty
- Territory
Elements of Foreign Policy (involvement in
process)
- National Interest
- Situational Factors
- Action
Procedural Aspect of the making of Foreign
Policy;
1) The establishment of the criteria
2) The determination of the relevant variables
in the situation
3) The measurement of the variables in the
situation
4) The selection of the goal
 5) the elaboration of a strategy to reach the
goal
SITUATIONAL FACTORS
6) the decision to act
7) the action itself 3 Classes
8) the evaluation of the results of the action in
1) The international milleu – which state is
terms of the original criteria
operating
NATIONAL INTERESTS 2) The specific actions taken by other states
– to which responses of one sort or
- is the standard by which situational factors
another are appropriate
are given relevance and which inspired
3) The states own capacity for action
action in the first place.
- Policies are made because of National Objective
Interest
Means a target of state action or a goal
- is perhaps the closest approximation of a
which the state wishes to reach.
constant factor that the formulation of
Foreign Policy can refer back to. Strategy
- A determinant of a Foreign Policy, to consist
State develops a strategy on how to reach
of those formulation of certain semi-
that goal and what it must do to achieve that
permanent ends and which is phrased at a
objective.
high level of generalization, the
accomplishment of which the state feels is “Chain Reaction” – unleashed to plan and execute a
necessary for its Foreign Policy
- self-preservation,
constant 1) A formula of national interest is produced by
- security and
popular traditions and official points of view
- well-being.
which are applied to some relatively long
- Ultimate criterion by which state is
ranged and fixed conditions
measured as to whether it was a failure or a
2) The formulation of what is national interest
success.
is applied to the situational factors in the
- Good foreign policy is one which advances
middle range and evolving conditions to
the notion of national interest the inspired
arrive at precise objectives.
action and corollarily,
3) An objective is analyzed in terms of short
- A Bad foreign policy is one that fails the
range and immediate conditions which
notion of national interest.
would lead to the selection of a course of
action called Policy.
- Concept of National Interest is the Starting
point and End point of the Foreign Policy *A State Action is always deliberate and is a
Process. reaction towards a change in an internal or external
situation which it is faced with.
Two Sources
Foreign Policy is the result of some governmental
1) National Purpose – mass shared value,
action. It must be planned and executed within the
demanded by a broad consensus
limits of the system of government which
2) Practitioners of Foreign Policy – decision
formulates it.
makers
State System
 - Depends upon the state’s freedom of choice.
- Depends upon the channel through which
state action is made and the limiting controls
in the state action.
Sovereignty confers upon that state freedom to
choose what its National Interests is.
Freedom of choice is the basic requirement and this
choice is reached by internal processes and by its
constitutional processes.
*what situational factors that impinged on the state
is also a matter of choice and discretion of
individual state. It has the freedom to choose what
policies to follow in order to accomplish the
objectives it seeks to achieve.
*a state must view the situational factors from the
point of view of its national interest and determine
the relative priorities to be given to different goals
and the establish and evaluate its own courses of
action.
*each state must devote a large portion of its
capability to face up with the policy moves of other
states either by resisting, cooperating, or
accommodating depending upon how its own
National Interest is affected.
Negotiation – when they seek the same thing in
equal measure.
Compensation – a method used by states who are
caught in this quandary. When states have come out
as rivals for the same thing and one state gains an
advantage which brings it nearer towards their
common goal, this touches off attempts on the other
states to seek compensation by others.
They may try to offset the gain by resistance o
retaliatory action.
State Action
4 Categories
1) Political Action – which is done through the
mechanism of its diplomatic representation
2) Economic Action – which is accomplished
through the productive and distributive
system of the State
3) Psychological Action – through the use of
the mass media and mass persuasion
4) Military Action – with the use of Armed
Forces.
State Capacity
- the capability of one state to have other
states agree with it on a matter at issue.
- Is a function of time, place and situation that
cannot be possibly attained with
mathematical precision.
Agreement – the only way by which states
supposed to be equal and sovereignty.
2 ways to secure the agreement in pursuit of
its own Foreign Policy;
*compel agreement by force either by using
coercive or semi-coercive techniques
*free consent won agreement by the parties
concerned.
- the more free consent the less it needs to force
its objectives
- the less consent is available the greater amount
is needed
2 ELEMENTS: TANGIBLE AND
INTANGIBLE FACTORS
TANGIBLE (STABLE)
1) Geography (most stable factor)
2) population and man power
3) industrial and agricultural production
4) natural resources (food & raw materials)
5) military organization/preparedness and
power-in-being (primary source of
national power)
INTANGIBLE (CHANGING)
1) population
 2) national character
3) social structure
4) national morale (capacity of gov)
5) education and technology
6) quality of diplomacy (brain of national
power)
7) balance of resources
State Capacity as an element of the larger concept
of Foreign Policy may be viewed in terms of
concentric circles of three rings.
a) Geography and Natural resources include
minerals, food production and energy power
b) Industrial Establishment, Military
Establishment and Changes in Industrial
and Military capacities
c) The Human Elements or Factors
1) Policy makers and leaders
2) The role of ideology
3) The role of information
RIGHTS OF STATE
Under I-law Fundamental Rights of State
(inherent rights)
1) Right to Existence, integrity and self-
preservation
2) Right to sovereignty and independence
3) Right to equality
4) Right to property and jurisdiction
5) Right of legation or diplomatic intercourse
Right of Existence
- It has the right to survive by maintaining its
physical territorial integrity and its valid
demands for expansion or the right to
acquire additional territory according to the
principles of international law.
*prescription – mode of acquiring territory by
continuous, public and adverse possession of some
other state’s territory for a reasonable length of
time.
*cession – may be done voluntarily by sale or
donation of territory or involuntarily by spoils of
war.
*acquisition and subjugation – by threat or use of
force is illegal and prohibits by united nation.
*accretion – natural when forces such as currents
and sea action adds to the territory of a state and by
artificial means such as by damming or reclamation
of land from the sea.
Right of Self-Defense
It is an inherent right of a state to defend itself,
much like and individual person.
Article 51 of the Charter provides for the right to
self defense if an armed attack occurs against a
member of UN, until the security council has taken
the measure necessary to maintain international
peace and security.
Right of Sovereignty
- To which a recognized state such as the
Philippines is entitled to.
- Sovereignty and independence are attributes
of a state which would enable it to determine
its own form of government, allow it to enter
into treaties and foreign relations, determine
its own national policies such as defense,
resources, currencies, and so forth.
Intervention threat to sovereignty and
independence.
Right of Equality
- “Equality before the Law” and not political
or economic equality for certainly states are
by their nature larger or more powerful than
others.
- Right to certain exterritorial rights and
diplomatic immunities and the right of their
heads of state, their flag and symbols and
coats of arms to be respected by other
state.
Right of Property and Jurisdiction
 - A state has jurisdictional rights over all 3) The duty to treat all persons under its
persons and things within its boundaries jurisdiction with respect for human rights
and fundamental freedoms
4) The duty to respect the property rights and
3 categories jurisdictional processes of other states
5) Duty to settle its disputes with other states
1) The territorial domain
by peaceful means and to conduct its
2) The marital or fluvial domain
relations with other states according to
3) The aerial domain
international law.
International Law’s Exception
*Foreign Policy should be supported by the people
1) The state of being a condominium as they are final repository of sovereignty.
2) The existence of spheres of influence
*government is only the agent in the formulation
3) The state of being a colonial dependency or
and execution of Foreign Policy in people’s behalf.
colonial protectorate or a trust territory
4) The existence of easements
5) The principle of exterritoriality
COMPARATIVE FOREIGN POLICIES
6) The principle of extraterritoriality
7) the rules on the jurisdiction of treaty over British Foreign Policy
crimes committed on board foreign ships
- a study of British foreign policy would entail
inside territorial waters
an understanding of its national background,
8) the presence of a lease hold or the existence
its policy making process, the substance of
of treaty stipulations
its Foreign Policy.
Right of Legation - 94,000 sqm
- Developed and economic system of trading
- it is based on common consent by the states
manufactures for the raw materials of her
themselves.
colonies and the rest of the world.
Chief of State (president) - Developed coal industry which fueled her
factories.
- the sole organ of the nation in its external
- Industrialization caused England to become
relations and is the sole representative with
largely urban and her agricultural population
foreign nations.
was greatly reduced to 5% of her entire
- Shapes and formulates Foreign Policy and
population.
appoints diplomatic representatives abroad
- Small enough land to manage itself until she
to execute his announced policy.
had expanded into her colonies around the
State of Obligations world.

- Set of fundamental obligations which states British Educational System

must observe in their relations with other
Public schools tend to separate students according
states.
to academic ability, and those who are better
1) Duty to respect the right of other states the
encouraged to seek higher education.
latter’s territorial existence and integrity
2) The duty to refrain from intervention on the Elite group – produces knowledge and skills
internal and external affairs of other states towards the formulation of British Foreign Policy.
British Parliament 1688 - monarch political
institution described as Liberal and Aristocratic.
Liberal in standing for liberty of both individuals
and property
Aristocratic because there were only a few who
could be eligible to become members of Parliament.
2 persistent problems
*world-wide commercial
*Political interest
The Crown - responsible for British Foreign Policy
*British Foreign Policy is also influence by non-
government entities such as the political parties
(various interest and public opinion)
Major Political Parties in Britain
 The Labor Party – affiliated with Trade
Unions (5M)
 The Liberal Party -
 The Conservative Party

Politicians – the power to make or formulate

Foreign Policy

Ministers of the Crown – where the responsibility

is exercised by

British Cabinet composed of 15-20 members

(selected by the Prime Minister); members of the
Cabinet shares the responsibilities of the Executive.

British Prime Minister – selects the members of

the cabinet

British Foreign Service – instrument of

Government but does not formulate Foreign Policy.

Permanent Under-Secretary – highest position for

a career officer of Foreign Affairs in the Foreign
Service Career,
- Main adviser to the Foreign Secretary and
serves as the Administrative Head.
- His advise may be entirely disregarded by
the Foreign Secretary and there is nothing he
can do about it.

4 other non-cabinet members who occupies other

ministerial posts who deals with British Foreign
Affairs:
(2) ministers of state
(2) houses joint under-secretaries