Chapter 3 Levels of Analysis And Foreign Policy
Jan 02, 2016
Individual-Level Analysis
• Begins with view that the root it is people who make policy
• Involves understanding the human-decision marking process (psychology)
• Groupthink, Individual decisions, etc.• Political Science and Psychology and Sociology
The Human Condition• How do humans affect policy?1.Cognitive decision making: making decisions
within the constraints of bounded rationality, first level of individual-level analysis
2.External boundaries (missing data, incorrect data) may affect decisions
3.Internal boundaries (limited physical and mental capabilities) also play a role
Decision Making
• Seek Cognitive Consistency• Wishful Thinking—We will succeed (regardless
of improbability)• Heuristic Devices – a range of psychological
strategies that allow people to simplify complex decisions. Examples: stereotypes, analolgies
Decision Making
Emotional Factors• Leaders are human tooBiological Factors• Ethology/Animal Instincts• Socialization• Intellect
Organizational Behavior
• Second approach to individual-level analysis• People act differently depending on different
settings• Roles based on self-expectations and external
expectations• Groupthink
Leaders and Idiosyncratic Analysis
• Third approach to individual
• Idiosyncratic Analysis:– level analysis; study of humans as individuals and how each leader’s personal (idiosyncratic) characteristics help shape his or her decisions
• How do personal traits affect decisions?
Leaders
1. Personality• Orientations toward self and others • Active-Passive and Positive- Negative Scale
(Active-Negative worst—example, Nixon)2. Physical and Mental Health3. Personality and Ambition4. Political History5. Personal Experience
Rational & Irrational Factors
• Decisions are usually a mix of rational and irrational factors
• Poliheuristic Theory: Considers decision making to be a two stage process
1.During 1st stage, leaders use shortcuts to eliminate policy options, usually for irrational personal reasons
2.2nd stage a more analytic process
State-Level Analysis
• Emphasizes the characteristics of states and how they make foreign policy choices and implement them
1.Government Structure2.Interest Groups3.Leaders4.Political Forces
Types of Governments
• Type of government affects policy decision (authoritarian, democratic, etc)
• Crisis vs. Noncrisis situation (rally cry)
Type of Policy
• Type of policy can vary depending on the issue area
• Intermestic Policy: Foreign policy that has an immediate and direct domestic impact
• Pure foreign policy: issues that have little to no obvious impact on citizens
Political Culture
• Concept that refers to a society’s general, long-held, and fundamental practices and attitudes. These are based on a country’s historical experiences and on the values (norms) of its citizens. These attitudes are often an important part of how policy is made.
Who makes Foreign Policy?
• Political executives• Bureaucracies• Legislative bodies• Political Opponents• Interest Groups• The Citizens
System-Level Analysis
• All systems have identifiable characteristics1.How Authority is Organized2.Scope and Level of Interaction among actors
in the system
Organization of Authority
• Vertical Authority Structure: Subordinate unites are substantially regulated by higher levels of authority
• Horizontal Authority Structure: Few , if any, higher authorities in such systems; powers fragmented
World stage is mostly horizontal
Organization of Authority
• State-centric system: anarchic, no overarching authority
• Anarchic nature greatly influences policy
• Range, frequency and intensity of interactions between nations affect decisions