IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/glopol/v16y2025i2p246-257.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Classical Realism, Practices, and Paradiplomacy: The International Activities of Canadian Provinces

Author

Listed:
  • Grant Dawson

Abstract

This article proposes a general theory of paradiplomacy based on Hans J. Morgenthau's classical realism (emphasizing emotions) and practices. It tests this theory on Canadian provincial international activities from 1945 to 2020. Morgenthau conceives of politics as a struggle for love and power that is universal but pluralistic in its social manifestations. Practices can be found everywhere, so variegated paradiplomacy practices are a global inevitability. The article argues that the provinces filter paradiplomacy through a distinct practice called the “diplomatic tradition of Canadian federalism” as one way of engaging in domestic power politics. The article distills the practice background into a three‐part social mechanism—asymmetry, ambiguity, and accommodation—and in the case study confirms it using a version of process tracing and practitioner interviews. The article's theory is not only plausible; it is also necessary because the paradiplomacy field lacks a theory on which to found assumptions that can be integrated into IR paradigms and trajectories, such as emotions, practices, and the renewed interest in classical realism.

Suggested Citation

  • Grant Dawson, 2025. "Classical Realism, Practices, and Paradiplomacy: The International Activities of Canadian Provinces," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 16(2), pages 246-257, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:glopol:v:16:y:2025:i:2:p:246-257
    DOI: 10.1111/1758-5899.70008
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.70008
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/1758-5899.70008?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:glopol:v:16:y:2025:i:2:p:246-257. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/lsepsuk.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.