Power in Australian Foreign Policy
Darren J. Lim & Victor A. Ferguson (2018) Power in Australian foreign policy, Australian Journal of International Affairs, 72:4, 306-313, DOI: 10.1080/10357718.2018.1484072
12 Pages Posted: 16 Jan 2019
Date Written: June 18, 2018
Abstract
The 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper emphasises the importance of ‘maximising’ Australia’s power and influence, however the White Paper and much of the commentary on Australian foreign policy do not clearly conceptualise ‘power’ or indicate how it ought to be increased. The Lowy Institute’s recent ‘Asia Power Index’ implies one possible strategy via its resource-based approach to measuring power. We outline a different approach and argue that power should be conceptualised and evaluated as a specific relationship causing behavioural change, rather than as a general attribute of its wielder. To complement the Lowy Institute’s carefully catalogued database, and facilitate a more focused conversation about maximising power and influence in Australian foreign policy, we offer a typology identifying five pathways through which states can translate their material and non-material resources into outcomes.
Keywords: Australian foreign policy, power, coercion, persuasion, diplomacy, agenda-setting
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