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This chapter discusses the key concepts of realism in International Relations (IR) and relates this to foreign policy. It explains that realism continues to be a relevant theoretical perspective on foreign policy which informs a rich array of Foreign Policy Analysis (FPA) scholarship. Realism offers an outside-in perspective that focuses on the relative power position of states in the international system to explain foreign policy. The chapter then focuses on the neorealist model to explain foreign policy before introducing its modifications: post-classical realism and neoclassical realism. It mentions how realist FPA lacks diversity as the field continues to be dominated by male, Western authors.

This introductory chapter provides an overview of the field of Foreign Policy Analysis (FPA). It presents theory-guided explanations of foreign policy to establish the foundations of foreign policy. FPA is a distinct subfield of International Relations (IR) that draws on insights from other disciplines to provide theory-driven explanations of foreign policy. Additionally, foreign policy covers a range of different issue areas, such as questions of war and peace, and states' decisions on the use of force. The chapter notes how the book is structured to address the thematic blocks of major IR theories, the interplay between domestic and international influences, psychological and cognitive approaches, and further development of FPA.

This chapter looks at the contribution of critical theories to the study of foreign policy. It then discusses the key general characteristics of critical International Relations (IR) theories before elaborating on the three strands of critical theories: feminism, postcolonialism, and Marxism. Critical theorizing in IR brings out the open structures of power and ensuing hierarchical social relations among actors. The chapter explains how critical theories can broaden the understanding and awareness of power relations in foreign policy research while also widening perspectives on relevant agencies in foreign policy research. It shows how critical theories give voice to marginalized, oppressed, and silenced actors in foreign policy.