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This chapter outlines the key concepts of the Groupthink Model, which places decision-making in small groups at the centre of analysis. As an empirical phenomenon, groupthink occurs when the striving for harmony and agreement within a decision-making group makes critical thinking take precedence over the substantive task the group has to work on. The analytical focus of the Groupthink Model primarily depends on foreign policy decision-making in small groups. The chapter presents empirical applications of the Groupthink Model, which are mostly confined to Western countries and the United States. It mentions how the weaknesses of the Groupthink Model open up several avenues for future research.

This chapter considers a number of broad avenues for advancing Foreign Policy Analysis (FPA) theories. FPA theories can be advanced by incorporating insights from ‘non-US’ foreign policy research, which in turn could contribute to a further decentring of the field more generally. The chapter details the points of departure for ‘internal dialogue’ among FPA theories before suggesting that the FPA can benefit from non-US foreign policy research. It then highlights that FPA theories have numerous implications and lessons for real-world decision-making. Essentially, FPA offers a multitude of starting points for future research, such as bridge-building and cross-fertilization within the field and other areas of scientific inquiry.