The Influence of Small States on Superpowers: Jamaica and U.S. Foreign Policy

by Richard L. Bernal

Overview

The conventional wisdom is that small developing countries exert limited—if any—influence on the foreign policy of superpowers, in particular the United States. This book challenges that premise based on the experience of the small developing country of Jamaica and its relations with the United States. It raises the question: if the foreign policy of the United States can be influenced by even a small developing country, should Washington be worried?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781498508162
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	07/22/2015
Pages:	456
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Richard Bernal was Jamaica’s ambassador to the United States and permanent representative to the Organization of American States (OAS) for more than ten years.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Objective and Organization
Chapter 2: Small Sates in International Relations
Chapter 3: Jamaica-U.S. Relations
Chapter 4: How Foreign Governments Influence US Foreign Policy
Chapter 5: Foreign Aid and Debt Relief
Chapter 6: Counter Narcotics Cooperation
Chapter 7: Caribbean Basin Trade Legislation
Chapter 8: Conclusions and Lessons

Editorial Reviews

Dr. Bernal has given a scintillating and well-argued account of how, contrary to popular dogma, a small country like Jamaica can influence USA foreign policy. The manner in which this influence was exercised and the lucid account of the lessons learned make this book an important landmark in the international diplomacy especially of small states. There is no direct correlation between diplomatic influence and size.

Sir George Alleyne

This book is essential for providing political and congressional leaders, in addition to students of international relations, with an understanding that small and large countries alike have the potential to influence the foreign policy decisions of super powers. I am truly grateful for Ambassador Bernal's service and for sharing his wisdom by discussing and providing first-hand knowledge of his extraordinary experience in shaping Jamaica and U.S. foreign policy decisions. Congratulations to Ambassador Bernal for addressing this issue at a significant juncture in United States foreign policy in the Western Hemisphere.

Congressman Charles Rangel

With the publication of The Influence of Small States on Superpowers, scholar-practitioner Richard Bernal burnishes his well-deserved reputation for being a leading observer of Washington’s great sausage factory: the unruly making of U.S. foreign policy, of the complex interplay among clashing domestic and varied foreign interests, most particularly with regard to non-crisis regions. Bernal brilliantly demonstrates his core thesis—that size need not matter, that ambition, brains and strategy can carry the day—beyond a reasonable doubt.

Richard Feinberg

The dominant school of thought is that the foreign policies of large nations, are—with the exception of symbolic gestures and acts of “generosity"—impervious to the policy priorities of small states. Jamaica, as a matter of historical fact, turns this theory on its head. Bernal, as Jamaica’s ambassador and key strategist, demonstrated a rare mastery of the subtleties, nuances, and complexities of Washington, as revealed in the analysis and documentation in the book. He details the ways in which his small nation was able, between 1991 and 2001, to have an indisputable impact on the foreign policy of the world’s sole superpower. This work is an invaluable resource for policy-makers, students of international relations, those intrigued by the often maze-like character of U.S. foreign policy formulation, and those curious about the insights and skills that enabled Jamaica to have so clear an impact.

Randall Robinson

Ambassador Bernal offers well-informed assessments of the challenges confronting small nations seeking to attract favorable attention in Washington’s policy-making, think-tank, and media communities.

IADB: Caribbean DEVTrends

Bernal. .. emphasizes the importance of doing one’s homework, building trust with important policy players, and identifying mutual interests. Interestingly, Bernal argues that information technology empowers small states by decreasing their transaction costs and increasing their capacity to mobilize constituencies.

Foreign Affairs

Ambassador Bernal offers well-informed assessments of the challenges confronting small nations seeking to attract favorable attention in Washington’s policy-making, think-tank, and media communities.

IADB: Caribbean DEVTrends