Foreign Policy Decision Making In Microstates

This book aims to explore and determine which domestic factor(s) are more decisive in The Gambia’sforeign policy decision-making. The book further investigates whether The Gambia’s traditionalliberal foreign policy of the First Republic has change direction under the Second Republic and if itdoes, what are the factors responsible for such foreign policy reorientation under Jammeh.Employing the neo-classical realism theory, data has been collected for this book from both primaryand secondary sources. The findings of this book have shown that domestic factors are morecompelling in Gambia’s foreign policy decision-making. We observed that personality and characterof the leader, economic development and natural resources, and diplomacy are too strong anddecisive in foreign policy formulation in The Gambia. Equally, our book also shows that externalfactors such as international organization and alliance formation are significant in foreign policymaking in The Gambia. Foreign policy formulation in The Gambia is highly personalized, centralizedand bureaucratic in nature. Since previous research to some extent, failed to show the nexusbetween domestic politics and small states foreign policy making, this book could be a valuablereference material for both scholars and policy makers.