Read and render the text (in Kazakh / Russian)

Read and render the text (from English to Kazakh / Russian)

Policy, particularly national security policy, is based on the policy makers’ understanding of the world and their perceptions of state behavior, often as illustrated by senior advisors. Political leaders often use elements of international relations (IR) theory when articulating solutions to national and international security dilemmas. These solutions then translate into policies capturing courses of action for accomplishing national objectives with varying strategic implications. Realist policies can translate into actions designed to increase relative power and influence, sometimes with heavy emphasis on the military instrument. Liberalist policies can prompt activities designed to increase international trade and interdependence. Constructivist policies usually put emphasis on international norms and law. Generally, military professionals are more concerned with the application of military power than with understanding IR theory, considering the latter the province of academics, diplomats, and economists. Given the influence of these theories in policy decisions and that national security policy shapes military strategy and the practice of war, senior military advisors should strive to gain a larger understanding of the utility of IR theory. After all, the use of the military instrument is a political decision.
Policy is an instrument of government action. It is composed of government processes and activities designed to alleviate a problem—or related problems—and set more desirable future conditions. In the national security realm, policy is an instrument to attain security and prosperity by advancing national interests and mitigating threats to those interests. In turn, perceptions and understandings of how the world works influence a state’s definition of national interest, significant threats, and the appropriate responses to address both. IR theories offer ways to explain how the policy makers’ view of the world can lead to policy determination, thus, affecting military strategy. Whereas policy is a statesman’s instrument, theory is an essential tool of statecraft. Political and military advisors must understand this reality if they wish to influence policy formulation.