Power and Influence in Foreign Policy Decision Making: The Role of Junior Coalition Partners in German and Israeli Foreign Policy

The special characteristics of parliamentary systems and coalition politics play an important role in the foreign policy decision-making process of Germany and Israel. Germany and Israel have seen continuous coalition rule—cabinets in which senior and junior partners share the power to govern. Junior parties in Israeli and German coalition cabinets have been able to convert their junior status into significant influence on key foreign policy decisions. What explains this influence? This study investigates several alternative hypotheses for explaining variation in junior party influence in eight important cases of foreign policy decision making in Germany and Israel. Through structured case studies, this research finds that the most important variables for explaining junior party influence in these cases are the unity of the junior and senior parties on the specific issue, junior party strategies of influence, and the locus of decision-making authority. Finally, suggestions are offered regarding the investigation of other minority, or less powerful actors in the making of foreign policy.