Foreign Policy Analysis

What are main factors that explain foreign policy decisions, actions and outcomes? Foreign Policy Analysis (FPA) is a field of study that provides a distinct answer to this question based on actor-specific theorizing. FPA is located in between international and comparative politics. It encourages an examination of foreign policy at different levels of analysis, ranging from the individual (perceptions and beliefs), the state (regime type, bureaucracy, public opinion) to the system level (balance of power and global governance). This course is aimed to give students the tools to analyse, interpret and explain the dynamics of foreign policy in individual and comparative cases, as well as to relate foreign policy to broader international developments at the global level. While it is mainly focused on the foreign policy of states, the course also considers the rise of new and non-state actors, like the European Union. The lectures will introduce students to the main theories and concepts in Foreign Policy Analysis, while the seminars will examine the foreign policy process and action in specific case studies.