Which realism variant most closely engages with foreign policy analysis at the individual or state level?

Correct option is A

The correct answer is a) Neoclassical realism.
While all realist theories deal with power, Neoclassical Realism is the specific variant designed to explain the foreign policy of individual states by bridging the gap between international pressures and domestic decision-making.

Information Booster :

Neoclassical Realism: The "Transmission Belt"
Coined by Gideon Rose in 1998, Neoclassical Realism argues that a state's foreign policy is not just a direct response to the international system. Instead, systemic pressures are filtered through "intervening variables" at the state and individual levels.

Systemic Stimuli (The Input): Like structural realists, they believe the distribution of power in the international system (e.g., a unipolar or multipolar world) sets the broad parameters of what a state can do.

Intervening Variables (The Filter): This is where they differ from neorealists.

They look at:

Leader Perceptions: How do individual leaders (Presidents, Prime Ministers) perceive threats?
State Institutions: How much power does the executive have over the legislature?

Domestic Society: Is the public supportive of a war or trade deal?
Foreign Policy (The Output): The actual decisions made by a specific state.