Olitical Change And Foreign Policies

Political Change and Foreign Policies

Shocks and Political Change

Political shocks have come to be considered highly salient for explaining major changes to international politics and to the foreign policies of states. Such shocks can occur at all levels of analysis: domestically, dyadically, regionally, or globally. They range from political phenomena such as coups and wars to ecological catastrophes. These shocks are sufficiently disruptive to cause foreign policy makers to reconsider their foreign policy orientations and to contemplate major changes to their policies. In fact, some have argued that it is mostly through political shocks that fundamental policy change occurs in most states. No wonder then that political shocks are now increasingly part of the toolbox of considerations used by foreign policy and international relations scholars as they focus on understanding patterns of conflict and cooperation between states. Given the salience of political shocks to understand foreign policy change, this book brings together a group of both senior and more junior scholars whose previous work has shown substantial promise for moving forward theory and empirical analysis. Their combined efforts in this book highlight the value of multiple theoretical and empirical approaches to a clearer understanding of the nature of political shocks and their consequences for foreign policy and international politics.

Foreign Policy

Foreign Policy: From Conception to Diplomatic Practice represents an original and important contribution to the study of foreign policy, uniquely framed by the experiences of small and new countries. Ambassador Ernest Petrič artfully brings together academic expertise and years of diplomatic experience to provide a thorough treatment of national and international environments, the foreign policy decision making process and an original analysis of the means of foreign policy and diplomacy. The role of the United Nations, the EU, strategic actors and the role of foreign policy as a diplomatic instrument are examined. Finally a reflection of the foreign policy concerns of small and new countries, with special attention to Slovenia and legal aspects are offered. Foreign Policy: From Conception through Diplomatic Practice successfully integrates scholarly theory with empirical evidence. The book's clear and evocative style will appeal to foreign policy professionals, academics and students of diplomacy, international relations and international law.