Canadian Foreign Policy: Defining the National Interest - Softcover

Holloway, Steven Kendall

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1551118165 ISBN 13: 9781551118161

Publisher: University of Toronto Press, 2006

Synopsis

In Canadian Foreign Policy: Defining the National Interest Steven Holloway puts the "policy" back into "foreign policy." By returning to the National Interest Perspective (NIP), this book provides an important method of analysis for foreign policy issues. As adopted here, the NIP forces the reader to think explicitly about the goals of government action and the assumptions that underlie them. This approach requires planning ahead and prioritizing Canadian objectives. It demands that Canada set aside the preoccupation with the interests of each societal group, province, or region, and think about what is to the benefit of all Canadians. No matter how dissonant the resulting broad public debate might be, Steven Holloway advocates the importance of finding general, large-scale interests that unite the national political community. For the reader, this book organizes and simplifies the various threads of Canada's foreign relations by concentrating them into a handful of enduring themes or national interests: national security (including territorial sovereignty), political autonomy, national unity, economic prosperity, and principled self-image (identity).

About this title

About the Author

Steven Kendall Holloway is Professor at St. Francis Xavier University where he has been teaching and writing about Canadian foreign policy for over twenty years.

Review

Canadian Foreign Policy: Defining the National Interest is a balanced and brilliant analysis of issues in Canadian foreign policy from a Realist / statist perspective that is, at the same time, open to an idealist, soft-power approach. This book shows the insightfulness of an open National Interest Perspective (NIP) applied to the themes of Canadian sovereignty-territorial integrity, political autonomy, national unity, economic prosperity, and international identity. Its in-depth historical analyses and engaging contemporary case studies will make this book a valuable resource for all readers—whatever their interests or perspectives. Canadian Foreign Policy: Defining the National Interest will contribute greatly to intelligent democratic debate about what Canada should do globally.

(Joseph Masciulli, St. Thomas University)

For those who believe that Canadian foreign policy should be the promotion of Canadian values, Steven Holloway offers a corrective. Through an examination of sovereignty, economic, and security issues, Holloway convincingly demonstrates that Canada, even before it became an independent country, has pursued a foreign policy that has sought to advance Canadian interests. In this respect, Canada is not a model power or a moral superpower, but simply an 'ordinary country.' Only in Canada, would making the case for a foreign policy defined in terms of national interest be seen as contrarian.

(Duane Bratt, Mount Royal College)

Steven Holloway's clearly and attractively presented analysis of Canadian foreign policy, past and present, demonstrates that an understanding of 'national interests' must still be central to any persuasive interpretation of Canada's behaviour in world affairs. His underlying thesis challenges the currently popular notion that government policy is rooted, not in interests, but in 'Canadian values'—values that are often claimed to be both unique and superior. Holloway's adversaries in this debate may not agree with his assessment, even though it is deftly imbedded in a long-established corpus of International Relations theory, but with the publication of his book they will be compelled to take his argument carefully and explicitly into account. University teachers will be delighted to have so systematic and rigorous a review of Canadian foreign policy available for the education of their students.

(Denis Stairs, Dalhousie University)

Edition details

• Publisher: University of Toronto Press
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 1551118165
• ISBN 13: 9781551118161
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 276