Public Diplomacy

Abstract

Public diplomacy (PD) refers to the efforts of an international actor to understand, inform, and influence foreign audiences in support of desired policy goals. It is predicated on the principle that government‐to‐government relations in a given foreign policy area may be influenced by foreign citizens and groups outside of government whose opinions, values, activities, and interests can help to sway a government's position. Trends in early twenty‐first‐century international politics have challenged the scope, purpose, and visibility of these activities. In particular, the changing role of the state, blurring of domestic and foreign boundaries, and a proliferation of boundary‐spanning actors provoke a rethink of how PD and strategic communication relate to one another.