The comparative
approach, one of the major theories within foreign policy contributes to the
understanding of international politics by intertwining the way states relate
to each other with the study of domestic politics (the functioning of
governments and the relationships among individuals, groups, and institutions).”
(Jeffrey S. Lantis, 2017). For instance, Snyder et al was trying to explain “concept through the human decision and a series of variables that
influence decisions and moreover, they
were presenting an operationalizable framework” (Tayfur, n.d.). This is vital to
international relations because the data found can be measured. Hence, we can
find trends and compare the outcomes or predict future results. The main aim was to create “systematic
theories and explanations of the foreign policy process. That was to be reached
by collecting and merging immense bodies of data, and by investigating “the
content and context of the foreign policy of multiple numbers of countries” (Roberst
Jackson, 2016).
The “publication of Rosenau’s pre-theory’ more than a decade after the Snyder’s
framework marked, the foundation of comparative foreign policy” (Tayfur, n.d.)(ADD REFERENCE) ROSENAU 1966). Rosenau listed several relevant
sources of foreign policy decisions and categorized them into five sections, “which
he called: idiosyncratic, role, governmental, societal, and systemic variables”.
Rosenau constructed a ranking of the relative significance of these variables, reliant
on the issue at hand and on the attributes of the state.” (Roberst
Jackson, 2016)
was the foundation he created. Even though various
empirical studies of foreign policy took on Rosenau’s Scheme, the ‘pre- theory’
“but it never emerged as a clear explanation of foreign policy; remained a
classification scheme” (Roberst Jackson, 2016). Therefore, this
insinuates that foreign policy doesn’t widen our understanding of foreign
policy. These theories, however, tend to explain the functioning of the state
or political system and the domestic policies that are chosen—they rarely
comment about the effects of internal politics on a state’s foreign policies.Therefore, the comparative
approach in foreign policy doesn’t add to our understanding of international
politics.

Foreign policy is defined as an “attempt by governments to
influence or manage events outside the state’s boundaries” (Hill, 2016). Foreign policy adds a clarity to international
politics through its in-depth levels of analysis it seeks to understand and
improve the international system. Not to mention, the field of international
politics is increasingly relevant in the world today and with foreign policy we can “effectively communicate among
states which is central to making efficient
relations and guaranteeing a safer world as a result” (Markovi?,
2015).
In this essay, I will analyze and examine
aspects of foreign policy such as the comparative approach, cognitive approach,
groupthink and the bureaucratic politics model. Which focuses on power, weakness,
war, peace, conflicts and cooperation and by examining these aspects it will
contribute to our understanding of international politics leading us to “recognize
behaviors and patterns in international politics to change it for the better” (Markovi?, 2015).