Foreign Policy as a Public Good
Foreign Policy as a Public Good

Summary/Abstract: Foreign ministries (MFAs) do not have a ‘natural’ constituency within the national body politic. A little reflection will show that there is no significant home entity that is their logical ally, much less an institution or agency that has a strong vested interest in the external affairs system. And when things go wrong in foreign relationships, that ministry becomes a natural, first sight, fall guy. We see the challenges that most MFAs face, when finance ministries carry out the annual exercise of determining the budget allocations for each department, balancing competing funding demands against the limited funds available. MFAs usually end up with the short end of the stick, with few among the non-state actors, or civil society or the media to speak out in their favor.

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