Unraveling the Contemporary Decision Making in International Relations: A Critical Analysis | Musssaib Rasool Mir, Santosh Kumar

Introduction

International decisions are often complex due to the interconnected nature of global issues. Humanitarian, security, environmental, and economic problems frequently overlap. Interdependence means that decisions taken by one nation or group of nations can have profound effects on other nations, requiring coordinated responses. But depending on how well the interests of each state match, prioritizing their sovereignty and national interests during the decision-making process may result in disputes or compromises. International decisions often reflect a balance between global needs and the specific goals of individual nations. National leadership being the linchpin in the decision-making process, takes a central role in the whole process. Therefore the article explains the role of the domestic elite that is the national leadership of state(s) in the decision-making process in International relations. The article also explains the consequences of decision-making, as to how the decisions of the leadership bring out changes at the international level. The article does not go into the process of decision-making per se, rather shows that the foreign policy decision of the state is the handiwork of the national leadership. While we understand that leaders do not always make bad decisions that have a negative impact on the world stage, rather many positive and wise decisions have also changed the world for the good. We are also fully aware that the decision-making involves a number of agencies, both formal as well as informal, yet the role that the leadership plays is overarching and enjoys un-parallel and unchallenged dominance. But in these pages we have limited our work only to analyze the decision making of national leadership and how bad decisions adversely affect the international relations and the larger structure of International system. With suitable examples from the contemporary world we substantiate our arguments.

Contextualizing Decision Making in IR theory

Decision-making in International Relations is a critical concept studied by scholars across various disciplines. Decision-making in international relations plays a crucial role in shaping the world we live in. It involves how countries, international organizations, and other global actors come together to make choices that impact global governance, diplomacy, and pressing transnational issues. This process is not simple