Foreign Policy Analysis and Foreign Policy Models of Decision Making Questions

I’m working on a writing question and need an explanation and answer to help me learn.

What  is the national self-image argument, and to what extent it can help us  understand foreign policy outcomes? What are some critiques of the  national self-image argument? 

1. How  did foreign policy analysis evolve out of the international relations  theories? Which period would you consider the “golden age” of foreign  policy analysis? 
2. What is the relationship between foreign policy, public opinion, and the media? Do they influence each other? If so, how?

Part II. Please answer one of the following questions in a long essay (6 paragraphs or 600 words). 

1. Based  on the case-studies that we have read in the course, which school of  thought (realism, liberalism, Marxism, and idealism/constructivism)can  explain the US foreign policy decisions best? That is, can you observe a  pattern in US foreign policy decisions that would support the  assumptions of one of the three schools of thought? What is the legal  framework for US foreign policy making? Who are the main actors? Which  institutions play a role in US foreign policy decisions? 
2. Compare  two of the four foreign policy models of decision-making—the rational  actor model, the bureaucratic model, the sociological model, and the  psychological model—based on their assumptions, their logical  consistency, and their usefulness in understanding foreign policy  decisions. Which one would you argue is a more plausible model to  understand the process of foreign policy decisions?