Author: Dr Sharifullah Dorani
Originally published by: The Rest: Journal of Politics and Development
Photo credit: Gerd Altmann / Pixabay
External Publication
This article was originally published by The Rest: Journal of Politics and Development. A short summary is provided here for readers of this website.
Summary
In this article, I examine the long-standing tension between International Relations (IR) theories and Foreign Policy Analysis (FPA), particularly regarding what truly drives foreign policy decision-making. Drawing on my own research into US policy towards Afghanistan under the Bush, Obama, and Trump Administrations, I argue that FPA’s focus on human decision-makers may offer a more nuanced and practical analytical framework than state-centric IR theories alone.
The article provides a concise introduction to FPA, explains how it differs from IR, and offers guidance on applying decision-making approaches, sources, and methods, while also critically assessing the limits of FPA beyond Western contexts.
➡ Read the full article: The Foreign Policy Decision-Making Approaches and Their Applications: Case Study: Bush, Obama and Trump’s Decision Making towards Afghanistan and the Region