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A country's foreign policy, also called the international relations policy, is a set of goals outlining how the country will interact with other countries economically, politically, socially and militarily, and to a lesser extent, how the country will interact with non-state actors. The aforementioned interaction 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, the head of state 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.

[edit] International relations theory

The sub-discipline that specializes in the study of foreign relations is known as foreign policy analysis (FPA). FPA contributes to overall communication between nations.

[edit] See also

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

[edit] Individual leaders

• Foreign policy of the Barack Obama administration
• 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

[edit] External links

• Foreign Policy Magazine
• 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 at The Brookings Institution
• World Politics Review: A Foreign Policy and National Security Daily