Compare And Contrast Leadership And Foreign Policy

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LEADERSHIP AND FOREIGN POLICY: Contrasting between the liberalist and realist views, discuss the role of a leader in influencing foreign policy.

Introduction
In foreign policy, decision making is guided by different a leader that is from presidents, cabinets, parliaments and groups such as communist party of Soviet Union and the standing committee of the communist party of china and Central Intelligence Agency of USA. One cannot run away from the fact that a leader’s personality can affect foreign policy. Maoz and Shayer believe that one cannot underrate or ignore the role of personality in decision making as it plays a huge role. By examining ones foreign policy, we can understand foreign policy better (Jensen, 1982). If a leader is aggressive then there are certain traits he will exhibit such as paranoia, manipulation, thirst for power high intensity of nationalism, (Hermann, 1980). Hitler was one leader who led to world war when he challenged the treaty of Versailles by adopting an aggressive foreign policy. The opposite is true for a mild leader for example George …show more content…

Whilst one may say USA is the highest power around the world therefore there is balance of power, others may say USA appears to be the dominant one only because it has most resources and influence compared to other nations. Realists agree with the fact that huge countries should be given attention as they have most influence around the world.

The term balance of power had to be adopted after the devastating Napoleonic wars. Today, powers which oppose USA accuse Obama of trying to be the hegemony and dictating to other nations thus disregarding the term balance of power. China further says that despite their growing economy and military, they can never be a bully to other nations by trying to be hegemony. In the UN, China has been known for voting against resolutions such as interventions and imposing of sanctions.

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