A Review of ‘Delegated Diplomacy: How Ambassadors Establish Trust in International Relations’
By: Dan Spokojny | June 14, 2023
The full text of the review is published at H-Diplo (html or pdf)
Review of: David Lindsey, Delegated Diplomacy: How Ambassadors Establish Trust in International Relations. New York: Columbia University Press, 2023. ISBN: 9780231209328 (hardcover, $140.00); 9780231209335 (paperback, $35.00).
Review by Dan Spokojny: When presidents & leaders can communicate directly and instantaneously with one another, why bother with diplomats? David Lindsey's book offers a counterintuitive but compelling answer.
Lindsey argues diplomats can be of enormous value when they win the trust of their host nation. Those who have earned the trust of their host elicit better information, and their advice will be more effective at shaping host government perspectives compared to those in DC.
But not every diplomat wins trust and sympathy. One earns it by being at least a little more supportive of the host country than your capital. “A diplomat loyally serves the national interest by being less than entirely loyal to it," quips Lindsey.
In contrast, a diplomat who simply mirrors Washington’s talking points may render themself irrelevant. Why bother with an Ambassador who has nothing new to say, and has not risked any reputational capital for your country? Lindsey’s research offers extensive and fascinating evidence of diplomats not behaving mechanically in order to build trust and achieve results.
Lindsey’s work demands that we take the role of diplomats seriously. If he is correct, relegating embassies to door-holders and messengers simply carrying out explicit instructions from DC really hurts their ability to be effective.
