Overview of the Diplomatic Landscape (original) (raw)

2015, Journal of International Relations

This essay outlines a so-called paradigm shift that is occurring in regard to diplomacy and global politics in general. This is a paradigm shift away from the nation-state towards both non-state actors and individuals, and towards regional and global movements and organizations. In terms of diplomacy, this is seen as moving away from the images of old men in striped pants at formal summits to social movements uniting through social media, sometimes called "citizen diplomacy" or "digital diplomacy". This inaugural issue, with contributions from AGS students and faculty, will explore and problematize many of these issues. To put the issues in context, I will give an overview of the perceived contrast between what I term "old" and "new diplomacy." Diplomacy, Foreign Policy, and Power Before we look at diplomacy, it is important to set up some definitions. The foreign policy of an actor is different to its diplomacy. Foreign policy is the set of goals that an actor wants to achieve and maintain in the international sphere. Diplomacy is one of the means to achieve those goals through the activity of diplomats and other actors through negotiation, mediation and other diplomatic tools. Actors often have many means to pursue their foreign policy goals beyond diplomacy including economic and military tools. To give a simple example, country X's foreign policy includes the goal of being the dominant power in its region. It uses diplomacy to help achieve those goals through both bilateral and multilateral forums. Generally, power in international affairs is divided into hard and soft power. Hard power is the power to force others to do what they do not want to do. Hard power most obviously includes the use of military force, but it is important to remember that it can also include economic and diplomatic forms. Actors can coerce others through economic sanctions and even diplomatic ones (e.g., suspending visits and meetings, restricting visas, using institutions to levy penalties or suspend membership, etc.). Soft power is the ability to attract other actors so that they also want what you want. This has more to do with persuasion or attraction than any real coercion. Soft power is similar to Albert Camus's description of charm being the art of getting an answer without having asked a question. Actors draw closer to each other and they find they have mutual interests and that both can benefit. This often takes the form of showcasing attractive aspects of the actors like culture, successful economic practices, strong university systems, etc. Beyond diplomacy and economic relations, however, soft power can be also exercised through military means, such as joint exercises, professional military educational exchanges, humanitarian relief and disaster response efforts. "Old Diplomacy": Traditional Actors and Processes Modern diplomacy comes from the development of the European state system in the early modern period. In the early days, this was achieved through an informal structure comprising an advisor or minister for foreign affairs, as well as important notables sent out as temporary representatives or ambassadors. However, as states developed to be able to more efficiently collect 1 I would also like to thank Carlos Juarez for feedback on an earlier draft of this essay; any remaining shortcomings are my own.