Public Opinion and Foreign Policy Essay Example for Free

Public Opinion and Foreign Policy EssayThis look is a review of an article by Douglas C. Foyles Public Opinion and Foreign Policy elite Beliefs as a Mediating Variables. In addition, the latter part of this research rates the article and provides recommendations for make headway possible pedant contributions. Foyles research is foc utilize on the subject area of world opinion and its correlation and order to foreign constitution. The increasing interest of scholars about this subject depicted object has been immense and is widely acknowledged in recent scholarly contributions in recent times (Foyle 141). Thus, in this research, Foyle seeks to narrow down his focus on the correlation of the influence of world opinion to foreign indemnity and the elite beliefs of policy makers. This, in its context, establishes the beliefs of policy makers as the mediating variable that determines the possibilities of public opinion to influence foreign policies. Thesis Foyle argues th at the beliefs of stopping point makers on the matter of the influence of public opinion on foreign policies have an actual effect to decision make (141, 144, 164).The research elaborates on this by citing findings which suggest that the influence of public opinion may vary on a number of factors. The factors tally to Russet, includes some(prenominal) the decision time and the type of issue under favor (144). In its argument, the research regards decision makers as the top level policy makers, frequently cited in the contain as the leaders who are at the top of the hierarchy are likely to participate, and has final trust for the decision (144).Public opinion, however, are determined through various representatives such as editorial opinion, polls, letters, etc (144). Foyle cited V. O Keys definition of public opinion as those opinions held by private persons which governments find it discreet to heed. . Consistent with Keys perspective, Philip Powlick, relying on interviews with State Department and National Security Council (NSC) officials, discovered policy makers did vary in how they operationalized public opinion.He reported officials relied more often on the news media and pick out representatives as indicators of public opinion. They used mass opinion (such as polls and letters) to a lesser terminus and different elites and interest group activity least of all. (144) On the other hand, Foyle refers to beliefs as the perceptions of the policy makers on the sex appeal and importance of public opinion in influencing decisions in foreign policies (145). Furthermore, Holsti defines a belief ashes as the set of lenses through which information concerning the physical and social environment is received. Also, Vertzberger believes it usually include principles and oecumenical ideas on the nature of the social and physical environment that constitutes policymakers field of action (144). Logic In this light, the belief system is analyzed with a theor etical framework containing two dimensions normative beliefs and practical beliefs (141, 145). In this study, both concepts are utilized and measured as the logic which view ass Foyles argument. Normative beliefs measure the desirability of the public opinion to influence policies in the perspective of the policy maker.According to Foyle, this belief is composed of the sentiment of an individual on whether stimulant drug from public opinion is desirable or not in poignant foreign policy choices (145). On the other hand, practical beliefs measure the level of necessity of public accompaniment for a foreign policy to be successful (141). It presents the point of view of policy makers towards the idea of patronize from the public as to whether it is necessary or not for the success of a foreign policy.This logic further observes the correlation of elite beliefs and the influence of public opinion to foreign policy by using both the normative and practical beliefs as defining dime nsions in which forms four possible distinct belief systems deputy executor pragmatist, and guardian. (Foyle 145). These four systems are ideologies that illustrates an individuals take on both the desirability of public opinion in affecting foreign policies and the level of necessity of the public support.One of the these systems are the delegates who are defined as policy makers who believe public opinion is desirable in influencing foreign policies, and public support is necessary for the success of these policies (145). Executors, however, are defined as those who believe that public opinion is desirable, indeed input from others is acceptable but support is not necessary for the success of a policy (146). On the other hand, pragmatists are the ones who do not credit public opinion entirely but they consider public support as a necessity for a chosen policy (146).Lastly, guardians are the ones who block the connections of both the importance of public opinion and the requirem ent of a public support (147). These four systems are used as a tool to measure the classification of a policy maker in how it views the human relationship of the input of public opinion and choices on foreign policies. With all these components utilized as the logic of the study, Foyle believes that categorizing policy makers into these belief systems, and understanding their individual beliefs on the relationship of public input and foreign policies, would further base his arguments in this study.Also, this logic examines the feasibility of using normative and practical beliefs as a predictor of decision makers mien (147). Research Method The study uses qualitative content analysis to evaluate the interaction betwixt the beliefs and behaviors of policy makers. (147) Foyle employs extensive archival materials available on the beliefs and behavior of President Dwight D. Eisenhower and depositary of State John Foster Dulles. Foyle believes that a qualitative content analysis of Eisenhowers and Dulless normative and practical public opinion beliefs establishes them as pragmatists.Based on these beliefs, I outline predictions of decision-making behavior for these two individuals and compare these predictions with decisions made during the Chinese offshore islands crisis in September 1954. (147) There were several locomote taken to administer the collection of data and its evaluation. According to Foyle, beliefs can hardly be measured directly, thus it must be inferred from the data which, in this kind, should be retrieved from available statements by the policy makers being examined (148).In this light, the study examined public and private communications, public writings and speeches. These are found in several public sources and archives to come up with a clear characterization of the individuals beliefs (148). In addition, common chord types of data were used to consider elite beliefs on public opinion (1) private communication sooner and after taking office (2) public statements before taking office and (3) unprepared extemporaneous statements in office (149).Since there are reservations to the reliability of the qualitative content analysis, Foyle made use of two methods to overcompensate with this issue (149). Foyle ensures that the beliefs analyses are completed initially before the detailed examination of behavior are reported. This succession, according to Foyle, makes sure that there are no influences by the examination of behavior on the beliefs analysis. In addition, Foyle employ an external party to measure the validity of the analysis and to ensure that there are no unknowledgeable influence findings by that analyst (149).To determine the influence of beliefs to policy makers behavior, process develop and congruency testing were utilized (Foyle 150). The procedure starts with the identification of the predicted theoretical relationship between the dependent and independent variables. Thereafter, the outcomes of the observations between the dependent and independent variables are determined and examined in relation to the theorys predictions (150). Therefore, if the outcome is in accordance with the theory, there exists a relationship between the variables.