A country's foreign policy also called the international relations policy is a set of goals that seeks to outline how that particular country will interact on an official basis with other countries of the world and, to a lesser extent, non-state actors. As well, an entire range of factors relating to those other nations - including economic, political, social, military, etc. - is evaluated and monitored in attempts to maximize benefits of multilateral international cooperation. Foreign policies are designed to help protect a country's national interests, national security, ideological goals, and economic prosperity. This can occur as a result of peaceful cooperation with other nations, or through exploitation.

Usually, creating foreign policy is the job of the head of government and the foreign minister (or equivalent). In some countries the legislature also has considerable oversight. As an exception, in France and Finland, it is the head of state who is responsible for foreign policy, while the head of government mainly deals with internal policy. In the United States, the head of state (the President) also functions as the head of government.

International relations theory

The sub-discipline that specializes in the study of foreign relations is known as foreign policy analysis (FPA).

See also

• Foreign affairs
• Foreign minister
• Ambassador
• International relations
• Policy
• Foreign policy doctrine

Individual leaders

• Foreign policy of the George W. Bush administration
• Foreign policy of Hugo Chávez
• Foreign policy of the Clinton Administration
• Foreign policy of the Reagan administration
• Foreign policy of the Harper government
• Foreign policy of François Mitterrand
• Foreign policy of Olusegun Obasanjo

External links

• Foreign Policy Association
• International Affairs Forum
• Teaching Foreign Policy in the Post-Cold War Era
• The National Committee on American Foreign Policy
• Foreign Policy Studies @ The Brookings Institution
• World Politics Review: A Foreign Policy and National Security Daily

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