International Studies Compendium Project

Extract

Comment on this article   The study of diplomatic and foreign policy behavior in transitional societies does not simply concern the changing external orientations of newly established governments and decision makers. It must also address the related redefinition of elite/citizen preferences and strategies, and its consequent impact on the perceived role of their countries in the greater international system ( Holsti 1982 :7; Rosati et al. 1994 :28). Therefore, in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of these relationships, it is necessary to move beyond an emphasis on traditional cases (e.g., post-Soviet Russia) to interactions within and across contrasting areas of the formerly communist world. The present essay will: (1) assess the situation of postcommunist foreign policy studies within the larger discipline; (2) review major themes and trends in analyzing foreign policies of postcommunist states; and (3) examine the international relations of two prominent geographic subregions – the Baltic states, and the major former communist powers, the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China (PRC), and the additional member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Contemporary scholarship on postcommunist interstate relations simultaneously reflects the evolution of two major subfields in political science and international studies: foreign policy analysis ... log in or subscribe to read full text