The Domestic Dimension of Public Diplomacy

"Diplomacy begins-and ends-at home. Katarzyna Pisarska, in this fine comparative analysis of the 'domestic dimension' of the foreign policies and diplomacies of Norway, Australia, and the United States-three liberal democracies of varying size and character-argues with logical clarity and a wealth of evidence gained from her extensive direct research that governments today-including even non-democratic ones such as those of Russia and China-would be wise to treat their people as 'strategic publics', as genuine partners in conducting their international relations." (Alan K. Henrikson, Director of Diplomatic Studies, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University) "This important book investigates an often overlooked yet essential field of activity - the interface between the domestic and international levels in the shaping of public diplomacy strategies. Through its in-depth study of Australia, Norway, and the United States, the book enables a detailed comparative analysis of domestic engagement, levels of legitimacy, the contribution of non-state actors, and public diplomacy successes and failures. An essential addition to the New Public Diplomacy literature, The Domestic Dimension of Public Diplomacy is an empirically-rich, theoretically-sound study that highlights how governments increasingly need to take the domestic arena into account if they are to achieve their goals abroad." (Giles Scott-Smith, Professor of Diplomatic History, Leiden University)

This book explores new grounds that public diplomacy is entering today, as domestic publics come to the forefront of the policy – acting both as foreign policy constituencies and public diplomacy actors cooperating with their foreign counterparts.This book explores new grounds that public diplomacy is entering today, as domestic publics come to the forefront of the policy – acting both as foreign policy constituencies and public diplomacy actors cooperating with their foreign counterparts. The author discusses the phenomena of public diplomacy’s domestic dimension described as government’s ability to engage its own society in foreign policy practices through information, cooperation and identity-defining. By analysing data from over 80 recorded interviews with Australian, Norwegian and American public diplomacy practitioners, this volume illustrates both successful and unsuccessful models of such cooperation. From Norwegian Peace Diplomacy, through Australia’s ambivalent engagement with Asia, to U.S. Government-sponsored exchange programs, the author argues that governments around the world are slowly accepting a paradigm shift in diplomatic practice from monological/dialogical to a more collaborative public diplomacy. This book is an essential resource for students, scholars, experts and diplomats interested in world’s best-practices of engaging domestic civil society actors in foreign policy statecraft.