University of British Columbia Press
Statesmen, Strategists & Diplomats
Canada’s Prime Ministers and the Making of Foreign Policy
9780774868556
Distributed for University of British Columbia Press
Statesmen, Strategists & Diplomats
Canada’s Prime Ministers and the Making of Foreign Policy
An examination of the legacy of Canada’s prime ministers on foreign policy.
Foreign policy is a tricky business. Typically, challenges and proposed solutions are perceived as disparate unless a leader can amass enough support for an idea that creates alignment. And because the prime minister is typically the one proposing that idea, Canadian foreign policy can be analyzed through the actions of these leaders.
Statesmen, Strategists & Diplomats explores how prime ministers from Sir John A. Macdonald to Justin Trudeau have shaped foreign policy by manipulating government structures, adopting and rejecting options, and imprinting their personalities on the process. Contributors consider the impact of a wide range of policy decisions—increasing or decreasing department budgets, forming or ending alliances, and pursuing trade relationships—particularly as these choices affected the bureaucracies that deliver foreign policy diplomatically and militarily.
This innovative focus is destined to trigger a new appreciation for the formidable personal attention and acuity involved in a successful approach to external affairs.
Foreign policy is a tricky business. Typically, challenges and proposed solutions are perceived as disparate unless a leader can amass enough support for an idea that creates alignment. And because the prime minister is typically the one proposing that idea, Canadian foreign policy can be analyzed through the actions of these leaders.
Statesmen, Strategists & Diplomats explores how prime ministers from Sir John A. Macdonald to Justin Trudeau have shaped foreign policy by manipulating government structures, adopting and rejecting options, and imprinting their personalities on the process. Contributors consider the impact of a wide range of policy decisions—increasing or decreasing department budgets, forming or ending alliances, and pursuing trade relationships—particularly as these choices affected the bureaucracies that deliver foreign policy diplomatically and militarily.
This innovative focus is destined to trigger a new appreciation for the formidable personal attention and acuity involved in a successful approach to external affairs.
384 pages | 10 halftones, 3 diagrams, 1 table | 6 x 9 | © 2023
The C.D. Howe Series in Canadian Political History
History: General History
Political Science: Diplomacy, Foreign Policy, and International Relations
Table of Contents
Foreword / John English
Introduction / Patrice Dutil
1 The Imperial Prime Minister: The Central Role in Canadian Foreign Policy / Patrice Dutil
2 Sir John A. Macdonald and Alexander Mackenzie in the Nascent North Atlantic Triangle / Barbara J. Messamore
3 The Realism of Sir Wilfrid Laurier’s Foreign Policy / Graeme Thompson
4 Sir Robert Borden and the Rise of Conservative Internationalism / Patrice Dutil
5 The Very Double Life of Mackenzie King’s Foreign Policy / Robert Teigrob
6 The Surprising Engagement of R.B. Bennett’s Foreign Policy / Damien-Claude Bélanger
7 The Transformative Foreign Policy of Louis St-Laurent / Robert Bothwell
8 John Diefenbaker’s “Rogue” Foreign Policy / Michael D. Stevenson
9 The Limits of Pearsonianism / Jennifer Tunnicliffe
10 The Twists and Shouts of Pierre Elliott Trudeau’s Foreign Policy / Susan Colbourn
11 Brian Mulroney, Joe Clark, and a New Constructive Internationalism / Matthew Hayday
12 Jean Chrétien’s Reactive Foreign Policy / P.E. Bryden
13 The Thwarted Ambitions of Paul Martin / Stephen Azzi
14 Stephen Harper and Justin Trudeau on the International Stage / Jennifer Levin Bonder and Leah Sarson
15 Ranking the Effectiveness of Prime Ministers in Managing Foreign Policy / Patrice Dutil and Andrea Riccardo Migone
Tribute: Remembering Greg Donaghy / Patrice Dutil
Index
Introduction / Patrice Dutil
1 The Imperial Prime Minister: The Central Role in Canadian Foreign Policy / Patrice Dutil
2 Sir John A. Macdonald and Alexander Mackenzie in the Nascent North Atlantic Triangle / Barbara J. Messamore
3 The Realism of Sir Wilfrid Laurier’s Foreign Policy / Graeme Thompson
4 Sir Robert Borden and the Rise of Conservative Internationalism / Patrice Dutil
5 The Very Double Life of Mackenzie King’s Foreign Policy / Robert Teigrob
6 The Surprising Engagement of R.B. Bennett’s Foreign Policy / Damien-Claude Bélanger
7 The Transformative Foreign Policy of Louis St-Laurent / Robert Bothwell
8 John Diefenbaker’s “Rogue” Foreign Policy / Michael D. Stevenson
9 The Limits of Pearsonianism / Jennifer Tunnicliffe
10 The Twists and Shouts of Pierre Elliott Trudeau’s Foreign Policy / Susan Colbourn
11 Brian Mulroney, Joe Clark, and a New Constructive Internationalism / Matthew Hayday
12 Jean Chrétien’s Reactive Foreign Policy / P.E. Bryden
13 The Thwarted Ambitions of Paul Martin / Stephen Azzi
14 Stephen Harper and Justin Trudeau on the International Stage / Jennifer Levin Bonder and Leah Sarson
15 Ranking the Effectiveness of Prime Ministers in Managing Foreign Policy / Patrice Dutil and Andrea Riccardo Migone
Tribute: Remembering Greg Donaghy / Patrice Dutil
Index