Margaret Hermann's Explaining Foreign Policy Behaviour Using the Personal Characteristics of Political Leaders

Margaret Herman uses the personal characteristics of political leaders to explain foreign policy actions in the 1980 article "Interpretation of Diplomatic Behavior Using Personal Features of Political Leaders". Personal characteristics and the direction of diplomacy are important. However, we need to recognize the fact that personal characteristics are only the first step to explain why the government is doing something in the field of foreign policy.

Behavior change theory tries to explain the reason of behavior change. These theories use environmental, personal, and behavioral characteristics as the main factors in action decisions. In recent years, there has been growing interest in applications of these theories in health, education, criminal science, energy and international development, understanding behavioral change is expected to improve services provided in these fields It is. Recently, there are scholars who introduced the difference between behavior model and change theory. The behavioral model is more diagnostic and aims to understand the psychological factors that explain or predict specific behavior, but the theory of change is about the process, usually designed to change specific behaviors It has been. Therefore, from this point of view, understanding and change of behavior are two independent but complementary scientific research pathways.

Shibley Telhami (2002) is exploring the relationship between neo-realism and foreign policy. Many scholars believe the application of international political theory to analyze foreign policy and external behavior. Kenneth Waltz reveals that neo - realism is not a foreign policy theory, but many people are opposed. Traditional realism is trying to explain foreign policy by implicating that internal factors are not so important in the implementation of foreign policy. Telhami (2002) agrees with Waltz that neo-realism is not a foreign policy theory, but this view comes from neo-realism and there is a possibility that the author may be related to foreign policy research, thinking. It is impossible to determine the foreign policy alone with power and self-defense, but it is still an important factor. Therefore, Telhami (2002) concludes that neo-realism can be regarded as a framework for further investigation, not to end analysis and inquiry.