The Role of National Power in Achieving a Balancing Foreign Policy

Abstract

There has always been the influence of national power in the determination of foreign policy. Thus, when states are in the process of interacting with each other, the sufficient quantity and quality of national power is relevant to achieve of a balanced foreign policy. This article shows to dissect how the components of national power interact in countervailing foreign policy architectures, with an emphatic focus on great power and middle powers. Underpinning this study is the Realist Theory of International Relations which comprises of the Classical and Structural realism and uses the ‘‘Balance of Threat’’ theory to explain how states wield their power resources against perceived threats. The study is predominantly exploratory and employs a case of United States to understand how national power can be utilized in furthering foreign policy interests.