Diplomatic Posturing in Uncertain Times

• In Event: International Organizations and Cooperation

Abstract

Despite diplomacy’s centrality in international relations, research on diplomacy has been limited and mostly focused on the practice of democracies. This is puzzling as diplomacy is generally approached as one of the peaceful means of conduct in international relations even as contemporary diplomatic institutions and behavior are hotly contested in academic and policy circles. In an age where multilateralism seems to be fading, this seems particularly problematic. Moreover, unlike militarized responses or economic sanctions, the original data we collected demonstrates that it is used both by countries from the global north and global south. We first argue that there is considerable variation in how non-democracies approach diplomacy. This has considerable implications for many debates in international relations including international status. We then maintain that while the presence of diplomatic missions is important, it is also necessary to consider other diplomatic practices. We rely upon an original global dataset as well as an updated Correlates of War diplomatic exchange date to highlight the different approach of non-democratic societies to diplomacy. Following our statistical analyses, we then share vignettes from around the world.

Authors

• Resat Bayer, Koç University

• Muhammed Lutfi Türkcan