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Key determinants of subnational foreign policy adoption: An event history analysis

Posted on:2003-05-03Degree:Ph.DType:Dissertation
University:The Florida State UniversityCandidate:Satran, Jill MarieFull Text:PDF
GTID:1466390011983254Subject:Political science
Abstract/Summary:
Over the past two decades, there has been a growing recognition that subnational actors are playing an increasingly energetic role in foreign affairs. The once robust notion that U.S. foreign affairs rest solely within the purview of the central government has become a relic of a bygone era. States, in particular, both out of necessity and as a result of new opportunities, have stepped onto the international stage in a variety of fora, including economics, environment, politics and culture, not as a stand-in for the federal government, but as a sovereign actor with its own role to play.; The primary focus of the current literature on the subject of subnational foreign affairs has been its impact on national foreign policymaking. What is missing from the existing literature is an attempt to build a more comprehensive understanding of foreign policy development at the state level. This study moves toward developing a new state-level perspective of global interaction. This new perspective recognizes state governments as a full-fledged player in foreign affairs and attempts to develop a clearer understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of policy development at this level. In this study I draw on general policy adoption theory to conduct a systematic, quantitative analysis of subnational policy adoption across four policy domains—international economic development, international environmental policy, cultural policy and human rights. My aim in this research is to determine if the characteristics or determinants of state-level foreign affairs policy adoption are consistent across policy domains and if there are clusters of defining characteristics which explain, at least in part, state-level involvement within particular policy arenas. Using Event History Analysis (EHA), I analyze state-level policy adoption over a thirty-four year span to identify the key determinants of policy adoption.; This research offers new insights into the factors that prompt states to act within specific foreign policy domains. The findings highlight areas in which foreign policy adoption is supported by a general theory of policy adoption, identifies areas where a general theory does not provide sufficient explanation and suggests areas where future research, refinements and expansions might best be directed.
Keywords/Search Tags:Policy adoption, Foreign, Subnational, Determinants
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