Issues Determine Politics Determine Policies: The Case for a 'Rationalistic' Approach to the Study of Foreign Policy Decision-Making

Abstract

Underdal, A. Issues Determine Politics Determine Policies: The Case for a 'Rationalistic' Approach to the Study of Foreign Policy Decision-Making. Cooperation and Conflict, XIV , 1979, 1-9.

The author argues that within the study of foreign policy decision-making more energy should be devoted to examining whether and how patterns of participation, interaction, and influence tend to vary from one category of issues to another. For this purpose issue categories designed to catch distinctive configurations of policy preferences are likely to prove the most useful. The argument is developed in two steps: In Part II a crude three-dimensional matrix is offered to indicate how configurations of preferences can be used to explain variations in decision-making processes. In Part III the author explores how decision-making processes within one particular issue-area (foreign aid) is likely to change depending on the policy alternatives in question.