Foreign Policy-making in the Nordic Countries: An Introduction
| Author | Bengt Sundelius |
| DOI | 10.1177/001083678401900201 |
| Date | 01 June 1984 |
| Published date | 01 June 1984 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Foreign Policy-making in the Nordic Countries: An
Introduction
BENGT SUNDELIUS
Bradley University and the Swedish Institute of International Affairs
In tris special issue of Cooperation and
different and vastly more complex con-
Conflict we return to the classic concern
ditions for foreign policy-makers to cope
in our field, namely the structures and
with in the pursuits of their national
interests.’
processes behind the foreign relations of
states. Already in the first few volumes
One of the motives behind the group
of this journal, a series of articles on the
effort presented here was to explore the
foreign policy processes of the Scandi-
national ramifications of conducting
navian countries was included. The struc-
foreign policy in an international environ-
tures, processes and actors which help
ment characterized by such complexity.
shape the foreign relations of Denmark,
The theoretical justification for this was
Norway and Sweden were reviewed.’
presented by Maurice East and Leif-
These three pioneering essays from 1965
Helge Salomonsen in this journal in 1981.
3
to 1968 gave introductory surveys of the
In their article, a framework for a com-
distinctive national settings for ’Scandi-
parative Nordic project on this theme was
navian foreign policies. Since then, the
outlined in the hope of stimulating a wider
international and domestic contexts for
interest in the project.
Nordic foreign relations have experienced
The domestic settings for foreign
considerable changes. These modifica-
policy-making have also changed signifi-
tions over the last fifteen years in the
cantly during the last fifteen years.
setting for foreign policy, both at home
Numerous studies of the Nordic political
and abroad, make it timely to review again
systems during the 1970s have stressed the
the forces shaping the external conducts
growing government involvement across
of these states.
the entire range of human activity. The
Nordic governments have taken on
greater and greater social and economic
PUZZLES
responsibilities. The central administra-
The Nordic governments face interna-
tions have expanded into a myriad of
tional environments characterized by a
specialized ministries, agencies, boards
great complexity of interconnected actors,
and committees covering most areas of
issues and arenas. Furthermore, the links
human concern. Several scholars have
between these external features and the
also pointed to the greater sectorization
domestic settings are viewed as tighter of political life during recent years. Others
than ever before. The term ’complex have stressed the increased politicization
interdependence’ is often used to describe
of most socioeconomic issues. It is reason-
this international structure, which has
able to assume that such basic changes in
influenced Nordic foreign relations during domestic structures for policy-making
the last fifteen years. It has been said that have also ramifications for external rela-
such an external setting provides radically tions. It seems that contemporary policy
88
managers not only face an increasingly
strategies pursued at home and abroad.
complex international environment but
It is an important and difficult task to
must also learn to cope with equally tur-
clarify the relationship between such
bulent domestic settings.
changes in the setting for policy-making
The overriding concern of this collec-
and the direction of the...
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