Politics Among Nations

Four Tasks of Diplomacy

There are four tasks for diplomacy: determining a possible objective, having a knowledge of other nations’ objectives, comparing their nation’s objectives with those of others, and “employ[ing] the means suited to the pursuit of its objectives” (564). Diplomacy also has three tools for achieving its objectives or blocking the objectives of other nations: “persuasion, compromise, and threat of force” (565).

Instruments of Diplomacy

Diplomats have two “organized instruments” (566): foreign offices and diplomatic representatives. There are also three functions that diplomats fulfill for their nations. One is the symbolic role that they play as representatives of both the government and the nation as a whole. Additionally, diplomats are legal representatives who are enabled to fulfill legal duties such as agreeing to treaties and offering legal protections to their nation’s citizens in foreign nations. Finally, diplomats are diplomatic representatives who convey the political objectives and needs of their government and assess the goals of other nations.

The Decline of Diplomacy

After World War I, the direct influence of diplomats over their government’s foreign policy declined. The speed of modern communication technologies meant that governments no longer relied on diplomats with the autonomy to act in their negotiations with foreign governments. Furthermore, in the modern era, diplomats are often perceived as being secretive and untrustworthy; this is largely because World War I was blamed on the secret dealings of diplomats.