Foreign Policy Formulation and Implementation of Small States: The Case of Trinidad and Tobago

The foreign policy behavior of small states is not well represented in academia, with a focus on realist thoughts and limited attention to internal factors. This book explores Trinidad and Tobago's foreign policy formulation and implementation, aiming to fill gaps and encourage wider theory development. It provides insights into the foreign policy process and associated factors, helping to develop an epistemic framework for understanding state behavior.

Format: Hardback
Length: 214 pages
Publication date: 15 May 2023
Publisher: Lexington Books

Small states, comprising approximately sixty countries in today's world, often face limited representation in academia when it comes to their foreign policy behavior. Research on these states' foreign policy tends to focus primarily on their actions in the international arena, with a strong emphasis on realist perspectives. However, a significant gap exists in the literature, as scholars tend to overlook the internal factors, leadership, and domestic issues that shape small states' foreign policy decisions. This book, which resulted from extensive research spanning five years, aims to address this gap by examining the foreign policy formulation and implementation of Trinidad and Tobago, a small Caribbean state. While recognizing the limitations of generalization, it is hoped that this study will inspire scholars to develop a broader theory about the foreign policy behavior of small states. By exploring the foreign policy process and the associated factors, this book provides valuable insights and contributes to the development of an epistemic framework that explains how Trinidad and Tobago, as a twin-island state, navigated its foreign policy choices under both objective and subjective constraints. It sheds light on the decision-makers' preferences and how they responded to various external and internal pressures. Through a comprehensive analysis, the book contributes to our understanding of small states' foreign policy behavior and offers valuable lessons for policymakers and scholars alike.

Weight: 472g
Dimension: 159 x 236 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781666908084