Decision-Making Theory and Its Place in International Relations: An Appraisal Introduction The study of international relations (IR) has always wrestled with the problem of how states formulate and implement their foreign policies. While systemic theories such as realism and liberal institutionalism tend to privilege structural constraints or institutional frameworks, the decision-making approach shifts attention to … Continue reading Comment on the statement: “Decision-making theory enriches foreign policy analysis but cannot claim the status of a general theory of international relations.” Examine the decision-making approach in international politics and analyse why it is often regarded as only a partial theory of global political behaviour.