This chapter introduces the concept of group-oriented foreign policy analysis and
evaluates the impact that in-class exercises in this area have on students’ civic
engagement. Group-oriented foreign policy analysis is client-oriented advice relevant
to a decision in the field of foreign policy, where the client is not necessarily
a governmental institution but any group influenced by particular issues of international affairs. The chapter demonstrates the relevance of in-class exercises
in group-oriented foreign policy analysis in countries like Russia, where the authoritarian government encourages the formation of two separate civil societies:
those consisting of pro-government non-profits and of “foreign agent” non-profits.
It provides a detailed description of such exercises and assesses the impact that
taking part in the exercise has on students’ civic engagement. Students’ feedback
collected in multiple forms during the administration of the exercises from 2008–
2019 at a Russian university demonstrates that the exercise influences students’
civic engagement positively in multiple ways.