POLS 375 Lecture : The Prime Minister
23 Mar 2013
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Document Summary
The rise was slow, but over time, prime ministers always wielded enormous power over foreign policy. It varies greatly based on mental focus and amount on the part of the prime minister. Example: diefenbaker sublimated foreign policy around domestic issues. Prime ministers would not often be at international meetings with leaders of the free world. In the last few decades, we have seen a larger number of commitments that require face-to-face meetings with international leaders. You get to hang out with foreign leaders around the world . It is harder to say no face to face. For countries that want something, this is an advantage. It eats up a lot of time and it"s a valuable asset. It also eats up a lot of bureaucratic time in addition to the prime minister"s time. People can make a point by staging lame protests at summits and/or conventions. They"re expensive and cost a lot of cash money.
