The Politics of Linkage: Power, Interdependence, and Ideas in Canada-US Relations

by Brian Bow

Overview

Do Canada and the United States share a special relationship, or is this just a face-saving myth, masking dependency and domination? The Politics of Linkage cuts through the rhetoric that clouds this debate by offering detailed accounts of four major bilateral disputes. It shows that the United States has not made coercive linkages between issues. In the early Cold War years, the exercise of American power over Canada was held in check by a genuinely special diplomatic culture but since then has been held back only by interest groups and institutions. This revisionist account of Canada-US relations is essential reading for anyone interested in Canadian politics, American foreign policy, or international diplomacy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780774816953
Publisher:	University of British Columbia Press
Publication date:	11/20/2009
Pages:	232
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Brian Bow is professor of political science and director of the Centre for the Study of Security and Development at Dalhousie University. He is the author of The Politics of Linkage: Power, Interdependence, and Ideas in Canada-US Relations, which was awarded the Donner Prize for 2009.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Abbreviations

1 The Social Foundations of the Special Relationship

2 Power, Interdependence, and Ideas

3 Nuclear Weapons, 1959-63

4 Arctic Waters, 1969-71

5 Oil and Gas, 1980-83

6 War in Iraq, 2001-4

7 Diplomatic Culture: Exceptions, Rules, and Exceptions to the Rule

Notes

References

Index

What People are Saying About This

Alexander Moens

Among the many fresh and welcome aspects of the book is the focus on leadership and norms, and diplomatic tone, as key variables in our bilateral relations. Bow does an excellent job of challenging the big domain that the traditional concepts of structure, power, and interdependence have claimed for themselves in explaining Canada-U.S. relations. He does so sensibly, carefully fitting normative ideas without throwing out the big political, economic, and military dimensions of the relationship.

From the Publisher

"Among the many fresh and welcome aspects of the book is the focus on leadership and norms, and diplomatic tone, as key variables in our bilateral relations. Bow does an excellent job of challenging the big domain that the traditional concepts of structure, power, and interdependence have claimed for themselves in explaining Canada-U.S. relations. He does so sensibly, carefully fitting normative ideas without throwing out the big political, economic, and military dimensions of the relationship."—Alexander Moens, author of The Foreign Policy of George W. Bush: Values, Strategy, Loyalty