The Role of Image in the Formation of Foreign Policy Essay

The Role of Image in the Formation of Foreign Policy - Essay Example For instance, a country that is shrewd in policy making that result in numerous conflicts with other nations will be regarded as hostile and thus the kind of image that it portrays to the world will be negative. It means that any country that will want to engage with this particular nation will have to do due diligence in their policy formulation to incorporate the hostility aspect that is often associated with this country (Smith, Hadfield and Dunne, 2012). In most cases, most nations that are conservative in nature will avoid any form of engagement with this government simply because of the negative image that it has previously portrayed. For instance, a country like the United Kingdom is very conservative and rational in its dealings this enhances its overall image to the world as many other nations will take it as a model nation in their operations. Therefore, whenever they are formulating their policies, they will most likely incorporate the best engagement terms with this country just from the image that it portrays from its mode of governance (Stephenson, 2009). Perception is yet another defining factor of how a nation will structure its foreign policy; take an example in the event of a disaster like a terrorist attack or a tsunami that has swept across a city killing thousands of people. Several nations will stand in solidarity with the affected through sending messages of condolences or offering aid to the victims. These acts o f philanthropy in such situation carry a high perception of how an individual nation feels for the other. The knowledge that a country gets from such actions significantly influences the terms of engagement between the countries, especially when crafting a foreign policy regarding that nation (Stephenson, 2009). Numerous factors are taken into account by countries whenever they are coming up with their foreign policy.