Importance of Hudson's hallmarks

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Is it vital to learn about the various theoretical hallmarks of foreign policy analysis? Why?

Yes, I believe it is vital.

Why?

Learning or talking about the hallmarks of foreign policy analysis according to Valarie Hudson helps us to understand the nature of the sub-field.

For example, we now know that there are many factors, which influence a decision maker at the individual level. An event at home can influence the type of decision a decision maker makes. The decision made during that day influenced by factors at home could affect others at the state or international level.

Learning or talking about the hallmarks of foreign policy analysis according to Valarie Hudson helps us to determine the difficulty of studying the sub-field.

For example, decisions made by decision makers and influenced by factors at the individual or system level is difficult to study or understand. In most cases, we have no information about the personality of the leader or their background.

We do not know much about our foreign minister Rimbink Pato in order to fully understanding his decisions. We do not have information about his family or his tribal members. We do not have written historical documents about his family or his tribal group.



Also in PNG, we do not know the daily operations of government departments like foreign affairs. Not many researchers have done research on our foreign policy decision making process. No one has explain systematically how decision makers at the departmental level make foreign policy decisions.

Learning or talking about the hallmarks of foreign policy helps us to determine the difference between the state-centric IR theories and the actor specific approach of Foreign Policy Analysis. Human decision making actors are more important than the state which is just an abstraction. 

Download or watch the screencast below on 'Hudson's hallmarks' to note my attempt at simplifying or understanding what Hudson wrote in her book about the hallmarks of foreign policy analysis theory.

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