Delegated Diplomacy: How Ambassadors Establish Trust in International Relations

Why do states still need diplomats? Despite instantaneous electronic communication and rapid global travel, the importance of ambassadors and embassies has in many ways grown since the middle of the nineteenth century. However, in theories of international relations, diplomats are often neglected in favor of states or leaders, or they are dismissed as old-fashioned.

David Lindsey develops a new theory of diplomacy that illuminates why states find ambassadors indispensable to effective interg...