The Expanding Role of State and Local Governments in U.S. Foreign Affairs

July 1, 1998

Book
Foreign policy analyses written by CFR fellows and published by the trade presses, academic presses, or the Council on Foreign Relations Press.

Read an excerpt of The Expanding Role of State and Local Governments in U.S. Foreign Affairs.

Throughout much of the world, two seemingly paradoxical trends are occurring simultaneously. Countries are becoming ever-more integrated economically—and in some cases politically—but power is devolving from national governments to regional and local governments.

More on:

State and Local Governments (U.S.)

United States

Earl Fry explores the forces behind the rise of state and local influence in foreign affairs. As Americans become increasingly involved beyond U.S. borders—whether through trade, immigration, travel, or the Internet—the federal government is less able to regulate the multiple strands of U.S. involvement in the world. State and local governments increasingly shape the ways Americans cope with the outside world. Fry suggests how the different levels of U.S. government can best share the conduct of international relations.

A Council on Foreign Relations Book

More on:

State and Local Governments (U.S.)

United States

Top Stories on CFR

Ukraine

President Joe Biden has given the green light for Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied missile systems to strike deep inside Russian territory. What could it mean for the course of the war?

Climate Change

World governments should focus on rapidly driving down the costs of clean energy, particularly in the power, transportation, and industrial sectors, to move the needle on climate change.

International Criminal Court

The International Criminal Court was created to bring justice to the world’s worst war criminals, but debate over the court still rages.