A country’s foreign policy, also called foreign relations or foreign affairs policy, consists of self-interest strategies chosen by the state to safeguard its national interests and to achieve goals within its international relations milieu. Below are some of the advantages and disadvantages of foreign policy.
Pros:
1. Economic Development Stimulation: Foreign policy can sometimes stimulate the economic development of a country depending on how it was crafted. Each country must strive to get the best out of its own foreign policy.
2. Easy International Trade: Foreign policy has made it easier for countries to conduct international trade. Countries with converging foreign policy may find it quite easy to do business together than those with conflicting foreign policy.
3. Employment and Economic Boost: Foreign policy is designed to ensure a country gets the best in terms of trade deals and favor for its citizens. A good foreign policy will ensure the citizens of a country gets more employment opportunities.
4. Development of Human Capital Resources: Foreign policy also plays an important role in the development of human capital for its citizens. It helps in crafting an ideal process of developing existing human capital.
5. Tax Incentives: A good foreign policy will ensure that deals are cut to reduce the tax levied on goods and services offered by a given country. A country will benefit greatly through significant tax incentives depending on its foreign policy.
6. Resource Transfer: Foreign policy will also play an important part in encouraging resource transfer between two countries. This helps in establishing great working relationships where countries share resources and human capital.
7. Reduced disparity between revenues and costs: Foreign policy will play an important part in ensuring there is no disparity between the revenues collected by a country and the costs it incurs while doing business with other countries.
8. Increased Productivity: Foreign policy will also play an important role in ensuring the productivity of a country is increased. This will ensure the country can compete favorably with other countries.
9. Increment in Income: Foreign policy might negotiate for a country and get an increment in the overall incomes of the goods and services offered by the country.
10. Better relations: Foreign policy plays an important role in establishing better relations with other countries. This also goes a long way in improving the business prospects between these two countries.
Cons:
1. Hindrance to Domestic Investment: Foreign policy of a country may sometimes be a hindrance to the domestic investment of a country. Countries may shy away from investing in a country because of its foreign policy.
2. Risk from Political Changes: The foreign policy of a country is directly related to the political climate of the country. This may also determine the relationship the country may have with other countries.
3. Negative Influence on Exchange Rates: If the foreign policy of a country is not favorable to other countries. It may register a drop or a negative influence on the country’s exchange rate.
4. Higher Costs: Foreign policy may also result in higher costs of goods and services coming from that country. This makes the products less favorable in the international market and this affects the overall economy of the country.
5. Economic Non-Viability: The foreign policy of a country may turn out to be economically nonviable because of its effects to other countries. This will negatively affect the economic growth of that country.
6. Expropriation: Foreign policy may sometimes mean that countries may resort to expropriation in order to advance its interests and this may lead to loss of property by a majority of the population.
7. Negative Impact on the Country’s Investment: A bad foreign policy may have a negative impact on a country’s investment prospects which leaves the country exposed to the effects of non-investment.
8. Modern-Day Economic Colonialism: Foreign policy may also lead to economic colonialism where a country with a higher and bigger economy may want to manipulate those countries with smaller economies.
9. Too stringent: Sometimes the foreign policy of a country may be too stringent to the point where business and life in that country becomes unbearable.
10. May not yield positive results: Foreign policy does not always yield positive results. It may work for some countries and may backfire for others.
