ABSTRACT
In the last chapter it was suggested that, although there is a considerable variety of actors appearing on the international stage, there is advantage in concentrating at the micro-level on the performance of states, since in the present condition of international relations they may still be the leading players even though they may not dominate the action. But it must also be remembered that though it is the states that are committed and bound by action, that action is in fact taken by members of governments, whether of their executive or legislative sections, or of both. This chapter is concerned with the nature of the goals the governments of states seek to achieve in their foreign policies.
