Our Sovereignty and Diplomacy Projects

The diplomatic element of national power is the execution of a nation’s foreign policy through political means. Diplomacy arises out of the fundamental character of the nation-state system, with its basic assumption that nation-states are autonomous, often divergent in their interests and unequal in their power.

US diplomacy is dependent on the preservation of America’s sovereignty, the power of persuasion, and working with other countries to take actions that allow for the successful prosecution of our nation’s national security policy. Rarely, if ever, is diplomacy successful without the strong support of the other instruments of national power.

Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate. John F. Kennedy

Diplomacy is often prosecuted in small, personal sessions out of the public spotlight. Although large diplomatic bodies, like the United Nations, are successful in dealing with some areas of conflict, the vast majority of diplomacy is conducted in smaller, bilateral negotiations. In a world where issues tend to be complicated by multinational negotiations, it is easier to reach agreement through single party negotiations. If two nations involved in negotiations have very strong ties on a number of mutually beneficial subjects, it becomes easier to engage in discussions on any issues in which they may not be in agreement on.

The State Department is the primary institution responsible for the execution of diplomacy, although numerous other players, including the Department of Defense, play critical roles. The State Department employs all of the nation’s official diplomats. They develop all treaties and international agreements on behalf of the U.S. governmentmore than 15,000 since the end of World War II.