Back to the full dot-point answer
VICPoliticsQuick questions
Unit 3: Global actors
Quick questions on Instruments of foreign policy: VCE Politics
7short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What is foreign policy as interests in action?Show answer
Foreign policy is the strategy a state uses to advance its national interests in dealings with the rest of the world. The instruments of foreign policy are the means by which a state acts: it can talk, trade, pay, pressure or fight. A government chooses instruments according to the interest at stake, the cost and risk, and the power it actually holds. The skill of statecraft lies in matching the instrument to the situation.
What is diplomacy?Show answer
Diplomacy is the conduct of relations between states through negotiation, representation and dialogue. It is the default instrument because it is low-cost and low-risk.
What is military force?Show answer
Military force is the most coercive instrument: the use or threat of armed power.
What are choosing between instruments?Show answer
States rarely rely on one instrument. They escalate from diplomacy to economic pressure and only then, if at all, to force, and they often combine instruments at once. The choice reveals priorities and capability: a state with limited military reach leans on diplomacy and trade, while a great power can credibly threaten force. A strong answer shows a state selecting and sequencing instruments rather than using a single tool.
What is q1?Show answer
Identify the main instruments of foreign policy a state can use. [4 marks]
What is q2?Show answer
Explain the strengths and limits of economic instruments of foreign policy. [6 marks]
What is q3?Show answer
Analyse how a state selects between instruments of foreign policy to pursue a national interest. [10 marks]
Have a question we have not covered?
This dot-point answer is short enough that we have not extracted many short questions yet. Read the full dot-point answer or ask Mo, our study assistant, in the chat for follow ups.