"It is better to jaw-jaw than to war-war." Winston Churchill, British Prime Minister.
American diplomatic style is the concept of the manner in which diplomacy is conducted by American representatives with foreign states. In general, there is a common notion of what this looks like; at the same time, though, our perspective of American diplomatic style varies with the perspective shared by a significant part of the rest of the world. To clarify, though, generalizations made throughout the paper "and this class, for that matter" simply indicate that either I or the author implied that a view or perspective is prevalent, as opposed to omnipresent. In addition to negotiation style, the actual form of diplomacy that is appropriate to use is discussed by Solomon and Quinney, Kennan, and Grossman. As a whole, though, American diplomats are those individuals that are used in order to further our national interests while maintaining a strategic approach to achieve the desired outcome.
American Negotiating Behavior.
"[Negotiation] is a privilege bestowed on deserving foreigners." Gilles Andreani, French Diplomat.
The focus of Solomon and Quinney is on negotiation, our tactics used, and the perception of foreign counterparts regarding our tactics. As outlined by the authors, the American diplomat can be defined categorically into four mindsets: (1) businesslike, (2) legalistic, (3) moralistic, and (4) superpower, or hegemon, power. Different diplomats in different circumstances combine these attributes in varying degrees, but they are apparent to us in the manner in which they are used. The argument for the businesslike mindset is that a diplomat, on behalf of the United States, seeks results by meeting specified goals. The process used is very straightforward in that there is a clear outline of what is desired and the endgame is achieving the minimum predetermined outcome. .
The legalistic aspect is determining the facts and signing appropriate documents in order to maintain the integrity and the accountability of both negotiating parties.
