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Is National Security a key concept of Foreign policy?

发布时间:2017-02-21
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Primacy of National Security

Is National Security key concept of Foreign policy?

In my research I want to analyze concept of National Security and its influence in making Foreign Policy. In search for answers on importance of National Security I want to improve my comprehension of term Security in general. Discussions on security are focused on normative issues like: Security for hum? Why? I want to explore values of meaning and importance of security. How is conducted? , By what norms and with which instruments? All of these questions should be answered with its adequate definitions and interpretations. Aim of this paper is to present concept of National Security trough history, its evaluation and influence in now a days foreign policy. Importance of in depth analysis of National Security is foundation for better comprehensiveness of foreign policy making and conducting since that is the field where I want to continue my research and education. Special emphasis is put on the thesis that National security is key concept influencing foreign policy making. I will compare concept of National Security trough IR theories, mainly focused on Realist understanding of National Security, its achievement and Security studies. I hope I will gain broader comprehensiveness of National Security and in future try to imply it on my further research.

Every state and government has own agenda on importance of policies and setting up priorities. It depends on national geographical, economical, historical position in the world arena. Therefore we will not see small and poor country solving global hunger problems or interfering in conflicts on another side of the globe. Not maybe that this country necessarily doesn’t want to get involved in global politics but it just doesn’t have capabilities, interest or strength to do so. No matter of states strength or power level ,each one of them in its high priorities list of foreign and inner policies have National Security as number one. Governments’ task for every country in a world is to achieve and maintain National Security.

National Security and its understanding for people and governments around the world are different and cannot have universal definition. Perception of National Security for everyone is connected with importance of protecting, securing, preventing from external (or internal) threats for nation/state physical survival. Arnold Wolfers in his essay “National Security as an ambiguous symbol “discus about ambiguity of National Security and its diverse meaning:

[1] It would be an exaggeration to claim that the symbol of national security is nothing but a stimulus to semantic confusion, though closer analysis will show that if used without specifications it leaves room for more confusion than sound political counsel or scientific usage can afford.

For different understanding of National Security and finding the right one it is important to understand concept of security. Security as a concept evaluated trough time but can be defined trough three meanings. First meaning of security is Traditional meaning .Traditional meaning is used in context of military security, securing state from military conflict with another state. Second meaning of security is meaning in context of international relations, direct state to state relations. Third meaning of concept of security is Human security, universal security for individual or collective. All together these concepts of security form National Security.

Hans Morgenthau defines security as [2]” integrity of the national territory and its institutions”. Another important definition of security, which put foundation in IR studies, is definition by Arnold Wolfers saying that

"Security, in an objective sense, measures the absence of threats to acquired values, in a subjective sense, the absence of fear that such values will be attacked". Important thing is that values for different nations are off course different so therefore concept of defending its values and security are ambiguous. Human security, meaning that individual security and collective security is most important of all, one that is crossing all borders of any state .Human development defines it as

[3] "The concept of security must change-from an exclusive stress on national security to a much greater stress on people’s security, from security through armaments to security through human development, from territorial security to food, employment and environmental security"

Human security is in general part of National Security or it should be. Security itself need to have objective, meaning who is securing and from who one should be secured. There are many states and many individuals so therefore for Buzan [4]“search for a referent object of security must go hand-in-hand with that for its necessary conditions”. This could be security for the state or international system and these concepts are interdependent.

[5]“A nation has security when it does not have to sacrifice its legitimate interest to avoid the war and is able, if challenged to maintain them by war”, so therefore war as a conflict between two or more states is important term in concept of National Security .This definition is saying that security is changeable factor, the ability and strength of nation to overcome possible attack and react.

National Security of any state mainly focus on military concept of security and power level although it is combined with all three of concepts of security ,but in international position and behavior ,the strongest and the most powerful military ,analogically national security is strongest and powerful. Security is in favor of any national interest so trough realist thought core of any foreign policy is national interest, and national security interest.

Realist school of IR empowers primacy of national security. Realism is main school of thought for International Relations .This school of thought is based on three main assumptions how the world function. Groupism , Egoism and Power-centrism. Power-centrism for realist is main feature of politics. Balance between social and material power is key to conduct politics on any level. As Kenneth Waltz describe[6]” The web of social and political life is spun out of inclinations and incentives, deterrent threats and punishment .Eliminate the latter two, and ordering of society depends entirely on the former-a utopian thought impractical this side of Eden”

Assumption on world functioning system by realist, power –centrism is foundation on how realist see National Security. Need to seek power for any state, in order to ensure own security is essential. Foreign policy main focus is to protect and maintain survival of state. By Dunn and Schmidt in spite of differences among realist they all are promoting so called three S concept that include Statism, Survival and Self Help which empower primacy of National security. Having state as a main factor, realism considers national security as a state security priority for foreign and polices in general. National security as a concept needs to secure and maintain safe four major constituents of any state. First is physical security of population and territory, idea of the state and its values, its institutions and sovereignty. Realist school of thought by term Anarchy consider international politics as politics without central head and power. For realist international institutions are used for distribution of power among states. Without head of authority that preserve peace and having all states together in international system for realist is condition of anarchy, meaning that the war between sovereign states is always a possibility. Therefore second S, Survival indicates that first and foremost things that any given state leader needs to do is to secure survival of the state. Best way to do so is gain as much power as possible in any segment of existence .Force and power can be used to threaten another as a element of coercive diplomacy .Accumulation of power, and as it can be seen when consider one country powerful is in first off all concept of military power and strengthen .As mentioned earlier, as much powerful state analogically national security is higher. Trough realist eyes most important aspect of one country is its national security power. Power of one state is combination of national attributes, including size and population, wealth and military strength. Leader of one state has to use all of these segments to ensure survival.

Self-help for one state means that they must individually ensure their survival in international system .Realism doesn’t believe in concept of having your own safety in hands of others in international system .Every state on its own needs to take measures to guarantee its own security . Accomplishing this doesn’t depend on just government of one state; rather capability to secure itself is influenced by other state. International system doesn’t have answer or mechanism to coordinate foreign policy of individual states. Best example now a day is situation in Ukraine and foreign policy of Russia towards Ukraine. Best way to achievie National security by realist is accumulation of power for yourself and make sure that others countries don’t have it more than you do. Balance of power by realist is important segment of making and establishing national security. Weak states, meaning states with small territory, wealth, military strength, in order to achieve high level of national security should balance their power; they need to increase military power by making alliance with other weak states or strong states in order to secure its independents and position. Yet another example for this is current situation in Ukraine ,where Ukraine, threaten by strong military power like Russia ,seek alliance with international community ,EU, United State of America ,as also one of the strongest military power in the world , to preserve its sovereignty and security. This is example of balance of power; in contrary if Ukraine doesn’t have political support from “big players” it is not hard to guess the outcome of conflict.

Historically Cold War rivalry between USA and the Soviet Union set a foundation for primacy of National security. As agenda of importance of national security grows in US foreign policy new security studies start to emerge and gain importance. David Baldwin is defining that [7]“if security studies study nature ,causes, effects and prevention of the war “this period of Cold War is not when it actually started ,rather much before in 1919 on Woodrow Wilson Chair of International Politics at University College of Wales, and beginning of Cold War was more about how to achieve security.

Many of security studies from this period focus on how to avoid another world war and preserve the peace among states. Focus of studies is on how to gain national security trough international institutions, disarmament, collective security, arbitration, in general trough diplomacy. Opposite of these studies with focus on international system other studies conflict with international institutions importance ,more accentuated on role of military to achieve national security. The Cold War protagonists and its rivalry emphasized nuclear arm race and endorsed primacy of National Security. Best way to achieve national security, by realist, was trough military strength and making alliance. Walt claims that realist security studies [8]“may be defined as study of the threat ,use, and control of military force which explores the conditions that make use of force more likely and specific policies that states adopt in order to prepare for, prevent ,or engage in war“.

Bernard Brodie in his book “The Absolute Weapon” focus on importance of nuclear weapon on national security .For him nuclear weapon is an instrument who is preserving world from Third World War ,knowing of its mass destruction and possible exchange of it. For conducting this it is important policy of deterrence, meaning threat to punish another state if makes unacceptable moves. Having nuclear weapon in ownership means that policy of deterrence pursuing in nuclear case and possibility of its exchange lead to mutually assured destruction.

Realist study of national security dominated in Cold War period and trough time its importance faded away. Mikhail Gorgbachev, the last president of Soviet Union opposed realist theories saying that nuclear weapon could never be used as military instruments of power or influence foreign policy strategies. New scholars confronted realist conception of state security that is strictly gained trough military strength with concerning of human rights, environment and economic development and its importance in establishing national security.

One of the biggest powers in the world USA have the strongest national security level that is firmly established in 1947 after passing National Security Act in US Congress.

[9]The National Security Act of 1947 mandated a major reorganization of the foreign policy and military establishments of the U.S. Government. The act created many of the institutions that Presidents found useful when formulating and implementing foreign policy, including the National Security Council (NSC).

[10]Central to the policy development and decision-making process is the National Security Council (NSC) which serves as the President's principal forum for considering national security and foreign policy matters with his senior national security advisors and cabinet officials. The NSC advises and assists the President on national security and foreign policies and serves as the President's principal arm for coordinating these policies among various government agencies.

Reorganization of foreign policy in 1947 in USA to this day has huge impact on general global politics. This reorganization sets new concept of conducting foreign policy for every country in world. National Security Council of USA included the President and other high officials like Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, Vice president and head of new established Central Intelligence Agency which emerged from Office of Strategic Service and other small intelligence agencies .CIA is set to gather information from field and since then have huge impact in establishing foreign policy making.

Trough all school pf thoughts we still can’t define what best strategy for achieving national strategy is. Key component of states foreign policy is grand strategy .Grand strategy defines what are main goals for national security of state and how can be conducted. Grand strategy is form from three key aspects. First, foreign policy department needs to detect and define main national security goals. Second, they need to find main source of threats to this goals and finally they need to make sure that, political, economic and military resource are available for shaping foreign policy and realizing national security goals. Every state has its grand strategy, but for world politics, those of big countries are important because they reflect on others small states foreign policies. United States of America since the end of Cold War is subject of debate over what is best grand strategy to follow, neo-isolationism or liberal internationalism or primacy.

For neo-isolationism US should first and foremost concentrate on its own national interest, not interfering and participate in managing foreign policies of other states. Neo-isolationism is also known as interest based meaning that for neo-isolationist key method for realization of national security is strictly focus on its own national interest . According neo-isolationism, US can individually guarantee is own security and unnecessarily is spending huge amount of money on extra security. They recommending that US should remove its troops from Germany and Japan, reduce spending and most importantly focus on Americas interests and needs in order to maintain security.

Liberal internationalism, opposite of neo-isolationism defines that America is secure and can maintain national security just for fact that they are global leader. As a liberal hegemon US, and main factor in making and maintaining international peace impacting not just US but also whole world. Contrary from neo-isolationism, liberal internationalist comprehends national security of US as a broader question. In globalized independent world, small threat and incident can spread fast and gain bigger influence all over the world so therefore, for liberal internationalism, role of US, as a world cop is necessity rather than exclusiveness. Liberal internationalism sets foundation on theory of liberalism .This theory calls on US to promote the democracy and liberty around the world.

Third concept of grand strategy for US is strategy of Primacy. Foreign policy making of primacy, as a main goal is to preserve position of US as a preeminent power of international system.

After the end of Cold War to this day US has been super power in international system. Advocates of primacy consider this strategy creates advantageous position for achieving national security and think that America’s grand strategy should be focused on preventing any future great power to challenge power of United States Of America. There are many things that are showing that foreign policy of USA is based on strategy of primacy. Maybe more accurate, foreign policy making and conducting of US is combination of primacy grand strategy and realism school of thought. Realist, as said before, considers national security as a core concept of foreign policy but also consider international system as anarchic and unmanageable and primacy strategy considers power in national system to be crucial for gaining national security. Both of these concepts are interdepend in US foreign policy making.

[11]The national security decision-making process is critical to the management of the national security interests of the United States. When the President makes foreign policy statements, meets with visiting heads of state, travels abroad, or holds press conferences dealing with national security his words usually have been carefully crafted and are the result of lengthy and detailed deliberations within the administration

As it was stated in my introduction, concept of National Security is highly important matter for every state .Depending on impact that foreign policy of one country is having on global politics national security grand strategy is set. Analytical approach of this matter initiated further studies for better comprehension of National Security and its huge role in shaping Foreign policy. As I assumed Foreign policy making of any state is implying strong National Security that ensure stronger position of state in World order. Trough this paper I discovered and realize how broad field of National security is and that fact deepened my interest for further research on this topic.


[1] Arnold Wolfers, ‘ ‘‘National Security’’ as an Ambiguous Symbol’, Political Science Quarterly, 67

(1952), p. 483.

[2] Morgenthau 1960

[3] (Human Development Report 1993 - www.undp.org/hdro/e93over.htm

[4] Buzan, People, States, p. 26.

[5] Lippmann 1943

[6] Kenneth Waltz 1979:186

[7] David Baldwin 1995:195

[8] Walt 1991:212

[9] https://history.state.gov/milestones/1945-1952/national-security-act

[10] http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/nsc/

[11] http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/nsc/history/

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