Revisiting foreign policy making how to revive diplomacy

This article discusses the main theories of foreign policy making and the factors influencing the formulation ofexternal agendas. Although the rational model foreign policy theory was valid in the early Westphalian system, the French Revolution contributed to the evolution of the bureaucratic model favoured by liberals. The leadership model added the impact of the personal perception of decision makers as ushered in by constructivists to the other two models. The inputs of these models come from three sources, namely the international community, the national situation and the perspectives of leaders. Based on the role of diplomacy as the major instrument of foreign policy, the article explains the key functions of a diplomatic mission, arguing that handling bilateral relations is the most important task of a diplomat. Explaining the approaches of diplomacy, the article concludes that the decentralised mission approach is more successful than the centralised embassy approach.