Lecture 8-National Interest Today, theconcept of "the national interest" is often associated with political realists who wish to differentiate their policies from "idealistic" policies that seek either to inject morality into foreign policy or promote solutions that rely on multilateral institutions which mightweaken the independence of the state. National interest as a concept is used in both political analysis and political action. As an analytical tool, it is employed to describe, explain or evaluate the sources of the adequacy of the nation’s foreign policy. It serves as means of justifying, denouncing, or proposing policies. In simple sense, national interest is a country's goals and ambitions, whether economic, military, or cultural.

Lecture 8-National Interest Reynolds believes that there is difficulty in identifying the concept and vies this as unfortunate andon the whole unhelpful. (1984:38). He argues that national interest should relate to real interest of the people and these interests are not to be seen as being necessarilycontained within the state context. The actual content of national interest depends on the perception and interpretation by the decision-making elite. In fact, ' No statesman, no publicist, no scholar would seriously argue that foreign policy ought to be conducted in opposition to, or in disregard of the national interest.' (Dougherty, J.E, and Pfaltzgraff, L.L, 1990: 25)

Lecture 8-National Interest Sometimes the activities of these two types of states are similar but the goals are different. (Magstadt – 493) Types of National Interest Vital vs Secondary: Vital interests potentially threaten the life of your nation, secondary interests are more distant and less urgent (Roskin – 360)

Lecture 16.1 Temporary vs permanent: Temporary interests last for a fixed duration, permanent interests last over centuries Specific vs General: Specifis interests focus on single problems while general interests are more universal in application.

Lecture 16.2 Complementary vs Conflicting: Complementary interests are those that countries have in common, conflicting interests pull countries apart. Pursuing the National Interest Expansionism: Countries seek to enlarge their territories or influence.

Lecture 16.3 Motives fo expansionism: Such states actively seek to overthrow the existing balance of power. In the aftermath of war the victorious state may choose to dismember or otherwise disable its vanguished advesary to guard against a reopening of hostilities.

Lecture 16.4 Defeat in war can furnish an equally powerful incitement to a nation’s expansionist strategies and power enhancement objectives. The temporary weakness of neighbouring states can also include expansionism.

Lecture 16.5 States sometimes commit aggressive acts of defensive reasons- a state may seek to forestall an attack on or a revolt within its weaker neighbors by taking preemptive military action against them, although they are not the true target, but more formidable foes further away who are more serious threats.

Lecture 16.6 Status quo strategy: countries seek to preserve and continue a particular power relationship. All nations pursue a status quo strategy from time to time, nations opposed to changes affecting the regional or global balance of power pursue it most avidly

Lecture 16.7 Containment: The US policy toward the perceived threat from the Soviet Union and Communism, that sought to prevent the soviets from acquiring new territory outside of their own country. Accommodation:States intend to preserve or promote peace, sometimes at the expense of their own power.

Lecture 16.8 Nations choosing the strategy of accommodation may seek to promote the peaceful resolution of international disputes or they may sacrifice values of great importance to their own well-being. A nation will submit to pressure or military threats rather than risk a war it knows it would lose.

Lecture 16.9 Other Approaches to identifying National Interest Appeasement: A nation’s policy of making concessions to an aggressor nation in order to prolong peace. The strategies are flexible and change over time based on the circumstances Other Approaches to identifying National Interest

Lecture 16.10 Zones-of-Conflict model: Power struggles and wars in the zones of conflict will continue to be the norm while peaceful competition, in the form of trade, investment and economic cooperation, will be the norm in zones of peace.

Lecture 16.11 Morality in International Relations Military intervention into the zones of conflict will have to be taken with extreme caution and should aim at making the zones of conflict should be developed into Democracies and eventually zones of peace. Morality in International Relations

Lecture 16.12 Idealism: Finds the moral relativism of political realism disturbing. Considers values, ideals and moral principles as the keys to describing, comprehending and even changing the behaviour of nation-states.

Lecture 16.13 Holds that nations desire peace and prosperity, ut that when leaders are misled by irrational forces wars and international tensions result. In order to reduce world tensions, to restore rationality and to help assure peace, international law and global organisations must be made to be important.

Lecture 16.14 There is significant evidence that some nations weigh moral principle in the formulation and conduct of foreign policy. Most often, the various acts and policies of nation-states contains elements of both moral principles and self-interest.

Lecture 16.15 Global Issues: In the interest of survival, the old world order needs to give way to a new world order in which global interests replace national interests. This is necessary in order to defeat global problems such as environmental challenges, resources shortages and misuses, overpopulation and worldwide poverty.

Lecture 16.16 Morality plays a much less significant role in politics between nations than it does in politics within nations.