Open research questions in International Relations and Foreign Policy
661 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 7,370 International Relations and Foreign Policy papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.
What the literature leaves open
The paper identifies the challenge of understanding the changing nature of war and the role of leaders in it. It highlights the difficulty of analyzing the behavior of leaders in conflict. It argues that the lack of personal experience of combat among modern leaders is a challenge for conflict resolution.
The paper identifies a gap in the current understanding of the role of leaders in modern conflict. It highlights the need for a more nuanced approach to conflict resolution. It argues that the current understanding of the role of leaders is incomplete and requires further analysis.
Most evidence on the relationship between electoral cycles and diplomatic travel comes from the United States. Existing research relies on yearly data, which may not capture the temporal structure of the effect. There is a need for studies that examine the relationship between electoral cycles and diplomatic travel in non-US contexts.
Survival Before Diplomacy: How Electoral Competition Constrains Leader Diplomacy in Turkey · 2026 · DOIFurther research could explore the causal relationship between public opinion and foreign policy in Brunei - Research could also examine the applicability of Boucher’s framework in other contexts
The lack of exploration of the informed public as a variable in the study of Brunei Darussalam and ASEAN. The general state-centric, elite-oriented viewpoint in past studies, leaving a gap in understanding the people's perspectives.
the challenge of moving beyond nationalism and building global institutions - the risk of human expansion into space being accompanied by grave geopolitical risks - the need to balance the potential benefits of space expansion with the potential risks
the lack of a global political identity - the need for a domestic economic policy for Planet Earth - the potential risks and benefits of human expansion into space
Against the expectation that these debates are merely justifications for external audiences, this article demonstrates that they have an important and understudied function of indicating preferred routes for action through dominant language.
One Theme to Unite Them All? Rhetorical Signals and Unanimity in the UN Security Council · 2026 · DOIWhile Beijing’s strategy of gradually shifting asymmetries in China’s favour certainly warrants scrutiny, undue alarmism and complacency alike could increase the likelihood of faulty assessments and misguided policymaking.
Mirage of Coercion: The Real Sources of China’s Influence in the Middle East and North Africa · 2024 · DOIIt then went on to study the significance of Italy in a Franco-German conflict, then planned additional studies on the significance of the other naval powers (Britain, the Scandinavian states, Spain and the USA) in the context of a war with France and the USSR.
immoral."36 Neutrals acting in their own interest can be as useful as formal allies, if not more so, as Sweden's hard-nosed attitude in recent years to Soviet violations of that country's teritorial waters makes abundantly clear. The obvious converse is that the United States it- self ought not to feel compelled to become aligned with one side or the other in all regional disputes, nor to at- tribute all disturbances in all parts of the world to Soviet machinations necessitating an American response. Some situations certainly justify active U.S. involvement, but others do not, and it would be the beginning of wisdom to attempt to know the difference and to act accordingly. "Acting accordingly" in some circumstances, on the other hand, would entail alignment if not outright rnil- itary intervention by the United States in regional dis- putes. Good alliances can be crafted, and if crafted in accordance with sound principles, can be useful instru- ments of American poli~y.~' For example, bilateral pacts with key regional states are preferable to multilat- eral alliances with states of widely varying power, be- cause they ease alliance management concerns and sim- plify that search for "agreement on matters directly bearing on allian~e"~' with regard to what Chatterjee has called "the preference structures of the actor^"'^ so essential to alliance cohesion. Alliances should have a carefully defined cmus foederk operative for a rela- tively brief period of time (no more than five years), at the end of which they would lapse if not explicitly re- newed by both parties. Finally, the United States needs to remember that alliances are simply instruments of foreign policy, and not institutions whose continued ex- istence has some intrinsic merit in its own right. Which countries should be the beneficiaries of Ameri- can geostrategic partnership is more difficult to ascer- tain than the general principles that should guide the United States in such associations. The Soviet-American standoff, for instance, would certainly seem to preclude an alliance between Moscow and Washington. An alli- ance, however, can take many different forms; all do not have to be mutual defense pacts. And as Henry Kis- singer showed in A World Restored, great power coali- tions involving a rather diverse mix of countries can work, at least for short periods of time."' The 1972 "Declaration of Basic Principles" signed by President Richard Nixon and Soviet General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev surely anticipated parallel Soviet-American policies in some areas, while the emerging relationship between the United States and China-once bitter foes that nothing is forever, at least in the realm -suggests of global alignme
The existential nature of the Chinese threat to Taiwan - The lack of a formal Taiwanese security agreement with the United States - Political polarization within Taiwan’s domestic politics
Further research could explore the dynamics of the U.S.-China rivalry in specific regions, such as the South China Sea or the Taiwan Strait. Research could also examine the role of other actors, such as Japan or the European Union, in shaping the U.S.-China relationship.
The paper identifies a gap in the existing literature, which often frames the U.S.-China rivalry as an inevitable great-power conflict driven by ambition, ideology, or a looming 'Thucydidean Trap'. The paper argues that this perspective overlooks the role of structural insecurity and mutual misperception in driving the rivalry.
The gap is the lack of empirical analysis on conduct entanglement. The gap is the limited understanding of the influence of weaker states on stronger states in alliances.
The current discussion of geopolitics and suggestions of new global geometries retains old assumptions of the planet as a given context for power politics and economic competition. The impact of climate change on the geopolitical order is not fully considered.
The risk of economic security risks posed by highly concentrated supply chains. The challenge of addressing vulnerabilities in societies, economies, and companies. The need to develop a strategy to enhance European economic security.
Dialogue instead of mutual neglect? International political economy meets foreign policy analysis · 2026 · DOITo develop a more refined theory of economic security. To explore the implications of the IPE-FPA research agenda for wider IR scholarship. To examine the effectiveness of the EU's economic security strategy in addressing emerging risks and vulnerabilities.
Dialogue instead of mutual neglect? International political economy meets foreign policy analysis · 2026 · DOIThe study identifies a gap in the understanding of how hegemonic rivalry affects international law. The current phase of the capitalist world-system is characterized by a hegemonic crisis.
International Law as a Tool of Hegemonic Rivalry in the Current Phase of the Capitalist World‐System · 2026 · DOIThe Western Alliance faces challenges in the post-Cold War era, including the West's diminishing global position and internal divisions. The Quad and Quint face challenges in coordinating policies and managing relations within the alliance.
The study identifies a gap in the analysis of the impact of Trump's foreign policy on the GCC countries. The study aims to fill this gap by providing a descriptive analytical approach to US foreign policy.
The impact of Trump's foreign policy during 2017–2020 on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries · 2026 · DOIThe study notes that limitations such as regional and yearly data gaps or aggregation biases must be considered. The analysis acknowledges that the dataset's comprehensive coverage provides robust insights, but also notes the potential for biases.
Alliance Under Pressure: Testing the Economic and Strategic Determinants of NATO Unity (1949–2023) · 2026 · DOIThe study identifies a gap in the existing literature on the determinants of alliance cohesion. The analysis notes that prior studies have not fully accounted for the impact of economic, political, and geopolitical factors on alliance cohesion.
Alliance Under Pressure: Testing the Economic and Strategic Determinants of NATO Unity (1949–2023) · 2026 · DOIThe paper identifies a gap in the historical debates on the influence of American assertions of regional power on Asian regional hegemony. The study notes that the influence of American assertions of regional power on Asian regional hegemony has been largely ignored or relegated to the margins of historical debates.
The complex relationship between external military support and instability - The multidimensional geopolitical competition in the region - The need for transparency and international coordination
China’s Arms Exports and Security Engagement in the Sahel: Trends and Political Consequences, 2010–2024 · 2026 · DOI
Most-cited papers in International Relations and Foreign Policy
- Social Forces, States and World Orders: Beyond International Relations Theory · Millennium Journal of International Studies · 1981 · 1,600 citations
- Cooperation under the Security Dilemma · World Politics · 1978 · 1,519 citations
- Public Diplomacy and Soft Power · The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science · 2008 · 1,216 citations
- Liberalism and World Politics · American Political Science Review · 1986 · 1,045 citations
- Neoclassical Realism and Theories of Foreign Policy · World Politics · 1998 · 935 citations
- A Structural Theory of Imperialism · Journal of Peace Research · 1971 · 887 citations
- The end of liberal international order? · International Affairs · 2018 · 838 citations
- Why States Act through Formal International Organizations · Journal of Conflict Resolution · 1998 · 820 citations
- The Global Situation · Cultural Anthropology · 2000 · 816 citations
- IMPERIAL DEBRIS: Reflections on Ruins and Ruination · Cultural Anthropology · 2008 · 816 citations
Most recent work
- Global soft power in the 21st century: a two-decade global perspective · Humanities and Social Sciences Communications · 2026
- Soft Power Is Bullshit! How Shared Interests, Not Values, Shape International Relations · American Behavioral Scientist · 2026
- Dialogue instead of mutual neglect? International political economy meets foreign policy analysis · Cooperation and Conflict · 2026
- Decoding Australia’s “China Threat”: Geo-Politics, Knowledge Formation, and Public Opinion · Journal of Contemporary Asia · 2026
- Understanding the regulation of 5G equipment suppliers through the advocacy coalition framework · Politics · 2026
- Transatlantic flashpoints & hegemonic countermeasures: US-Europe intra-elite relations from Nixon to Trump 2.0 · Globalizations · 2026
- The emergence and politics of polyalignment · Third World Quarterly · 2026
- To What Degree Does China's Growing Influence Challenge American Global Supremacy? · Journal of International Relations and Foreign Policy · 2026
- Regionalization Without Volume? · The Annals of Thoracic Surgery · 2026
- Multiplexity 2.0: power and pluralism in the post-liberal age · International Affairs · 2026
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