Eleanor Finch
Politics and diplomacy are distinct fields with different goals and strategies. Politics is the pursuit and use of power within a country's internal framework, involving decision-making on governance, public affairs, and policy implementation. It is influenced by domestic events and stakeholders. On the other hand, diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting international relations, emphasising dialogue, negotiation, and common ground to resolve shared concerns and strengthen ties between nations. While politicians are elected through local elections, diplomats are trained professionals who focus on building international understanding and upholding goodwill in their interactions with other countries.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | Politics: The pursuit and use of power inside the internal framework of a country. |
| Diplomacy: The art, practice, and methods of conducting international relations between nations. | |
| Focus | Politics: Domestic events, power, popular support, and the implementation of domestic goals. |
| Diplomacy: Dialogue, negotiation, and the development of international understanding between states. | |
| Practitioners | Politics: Politicians are people elected through local elections. |
| Diplomacy: Diplomats are public servants trained in diplomacy to perform the art of beneficial relations with the rest of the world. | |
| Traits | Politics: Tend towards the emotional, dramatic, sentimental, moral, or exhibitive aspects of interaction. Seek "quick fixes" and to "win" or "walk away". |
| Diplomacy: Reliability, accuracy, patience, modesty, and tact. |
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What You'll Learn
Politics is about the pursuit and use of power within a country's internal framework
Politics and diplomacy are two distinct concepts that often overlap in the complex world of international relations. While diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting international relations and negotiations between nations, politics is about the pursuit and use of power within a country's internal framework.
Politics can be defined as the pursuit and exercise of power within the governing structures of a nation. It involves political activities, behaviours, and tactics aimed at gaining and maintaining power. This includes decision-making on governance, public affairs, and policy formulation and implementation. Politicians are individuals elected through local elections, and they focus on domestic events and the needs of their citizens or political supporters within their country's borders. Their decision-making is influenced by domestic stakeholders and supporters, and they are accountable to their electorate.
The primary goal of politics is to acquire and retain power, pursue specific policy agendas, and serve the interests of citizens or political supporters within a nation's boundaries. This often involves navigating complex power dynamics, building coalitions, and seeking popular support to implement domestic goals. Politics is not rule-based but is driven by the pursuit of power and the desire to influence and shape a country's policies and direction.
Political leaders play a crucial role in politics, as they are the ones who ultimately make decisions and set the direction for the country. They are expected to possess a firm understanding of the nation's politics and use their power strategically to achieve their goals. However, it's important to note that political leaders are not trained in diplomacy, and their focus is primarily domestic. They tend to seek quick fixes, dramatic wins, and emotional appeals to rally support for their agendas.
In contrast to diplomacy, which prioritises dialogue, negotiation, and the development of international understanding, politics often involves competition, debate, and the pursuit of power. Politics shapes the policies and decisions that directly impact a country's citizens, and it is through politics that societal changes are proposed, debated, and ultimately implemented or rejected. This includes everything from economic policies to social issues, foreign policy approaches, and the day-to-day governance of a nation.
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Diplomacy is the art of conducting international relations
Diplomacy is a functional tool in the broader toolbox of foreign policy. It is used in discussions that occur during or before a conflict, and diplomats are present for the signing of cease-fires, truces, and peace treaties. They are the advisors of peaceful relations and uphold goodwill between nations.
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961) codifies the guidelines for the exchange and treatment of ambassadors between governments. It promotes the growth of amicable ties between countries, regardless of their governmental and social differences.
Diplomacy is rule-based, while politics is not. Political leaders rely on domestic electoral or other power bases, and their decision-making is influenced by domestic events and stakeholders. They tend to focus on the pursuit of power, popular support, and the implementation of domestic goals. In contrast, diplomats are trained to value reliability, accuracy, patience, modesty, and tact. They serve as the "'courtiers of civilisation", combining the means and purposes of power in a way closer to statecraft.
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Politicians are elected, diplomats are not
While there is a lot of overlap between politics and diplomacy, the two fields are distinct, and the people who work in them have different roles and priorities.
Diplomats are not elected, but they are public servants. Their performance depends on standards of integrity and professionalism. They are trained in the art of diplomacy, which takes years to master, and their work focuses on international relations and negotiations between states. They emphasise dialogue, negotiation, and finding common ground to strengthen political, economic, cultural, and scientific ties between nations.
On the other hand, politicians are elected officials who gain power through local elections. Their focus is primarily domestic, and they are reliant on electoral power bases and the support of domestic stakeholders. They tend to be more concerned with the pursuit and use of power within the internal framework of a country, including decision-making on governance, public affairs, and policy implementation.
The distinction between the two roles can be seen in their approaches to international relations. While politicians may engage in "presidential diplomacy" or "face-to-face diplomacy", their primary goal is often to "win" or seek "quick fixes". In contrast, diplomats are trained to value reliability, accuracy, patience, modesty, and tact in their negotiations and interactions with other nations.
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Political leaders rely on domestic power bases
Political leaders and diplomats have distinct roles, with politicians relying on domestic power bases. While there is some overlap between the two fields, they have evolved into separate disciplines over thousands of years. Political leaders are reliant on domestic electoral power bases, which means their focus is on domestic events and issues. Their decision-making is influenced by domestic stakeholders and supporters, and they are accountable to the citizens or political supporters within their nation. This is in contrast to diplomats, who are public servants, and whose performance depends on standards of integrity and professionalism.
Political leaders are elected through local elections, and their primary role is to pursue and exercise power within the internal framework of a country. This includes making decisions on governance and public affairs, as well as formulating and implementing policies to serve the needs of their citizens or political supporters. They are responsible for the political activities, behaviour, and tactics employed within their nation.
The role of political leaders is strategic and instrumental, and they may be deployed at specific times to further their agenda. Their focus is often on gaining and maintaining power, pursuing policy goals, and garnering popular support. They tend to seek "quick fixes" and desire to "win" or "walk away". Political leaders are not typically trained in diplomacy, and their communication style can be more rhetorical, emotional, and dramatic. They are skilled in the art of persuasion and can be influential figures.
The domestic power base of political leaders can be strengthened through various means, such as effective communication with their constituents, building strong relationships with domestic stakeholders, and utilising social media to reach a wider audience. They may also rely on their political party's infrastructure, resources, and support networks to maintain their position. Political leaders can also shape public opinion and influence their supporters' beliefs and values, further solidifying their domestic power base.
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Diplomats are public servants, politicians are not
While there is a lot of overlap between politics and diplomacy, they are distinct disciplines with different goals and strategies. Diplomats are public servants, while politicians are not.
Diplomats are public servants who uphold the standards of integrity and professionalism in their conduct of international relations. They are trained to be reliable, accurate, patient, modest, and tactful, and their performance is measured solely against these standards. The diplomat's role is to conduct international contacts and negotiations in a way that protects their nation's interests and advances its political, economic, cultural, or scientific ties. They emphasise dialogue, negotiation, and finding common ground to strengthen political and cultural relationships between nations. Diplomats serve as advisors to political leaders, watching over the signing of peace treaties and promoting peaceful relations.
On the other hand, politicians are not public servants in the same sense. They are the people elected through local elections, and their focus is primarily domestic. Political leaders are reliant on domestic electoral power bases, and their decisions are influenced by internal stakeholders and supporters. Their performance is tied to gaining and retaining power, pursuing policy agendas, and serving the needs of citizens or political supporters within their nation's boundaries. Politicians tend to seek "quick fixes" and desire to "win" or "walk away" from negotiations. They profit from rhetoric and emotional appeals rather than the reliability and accuracy valued by diplomats.
The distinction between diplomats as public servants and politicians as power-seekers is important to understand. Diplomats are bound by rules and guidelines, such as those codified in the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations (1961), which ensure their duties are carried out free from interference from host countries. Politicians, on the other hand, operate within the internal framework of their country, formulating and implementing policies to serve their constituents. While both diplomats and politicians play a role in international relations, their approaches and motivations differ significantly.
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Frequently asked questions
Diplomacy and politics are two distinct fields that often overlap. Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting international relations and negotiations between states to strengthen political, economic, cultural, or scientific ties. It involves dialogue, negotiation, and finding common ground to resolve matters of shared interest or concern. On the other hand, politics refers to the pursuit and use of power within the internal framework of a country. It involves decision-making on governance, public affairs, and policy formulation and implementation to serve the needs of citizens or political supporters within a nation's boundaries.
Diplomacy is characterized by a focus on international relations and negotiations. It prioritizes dialogue, mutual understanding, and the development of amicable ties between states. Diplomats, as public servants, uphold standards of integrity, reliability, accuracy, patience, and professionalism in their efforts to promote goodwill, resolve disputes, and forge international relationships.
Politics is defined by the pursuit and exercise of power within a country's internal framework. It involves political activities, behaviour, and tactics aimed at gaining and maintaining power, as well as advancing policy agendas. Politicians tend to focus on domestic events and are influenced by electoral considerations, popular support, and the interests of their political supporters.
While there is an overlap between the two fields, it is important to distinguish between political leaders and diplomats. Political leaders are not typically trained in diplomacy and may prioritize rhetoric, quick fixes, and dramatic gestures. In contrast, diplomats emphasize reliability, accuracy, patience, and tact in their pursuit of practical outcomes that meet their needs while also being acceptable to the other parties involved.
