London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)

Modules

Foreign policy analysis [137]

This unit examines the key concepts and schools of thought in foreign policy analysis, concentrating particularly on the process of decision making, the internal and external factors which influence foreign policy decisions, the instruments available to foreign policy decision makers and the effect of changes in the international system on foreign policy. The unit combines a discussion of these theories with their application to selected countries in the North, the South, international organizations and transnational actors.

The principle themes to be addressed by the unit are:

• The role and relevance of foreign policy in the era of globalisation

• Whether national foreign policies can be ethical

• The role of leadership, the bureaucracy and interest groups in setting the state's foreign policy agenda

• How democratising states meet the challenge of constructing a new foreign policy

• The scope for affecting change in the international system by non-state actors (ranging from 'global civil society' to multinational corporations).