Subnational governments in international affairs: a study on theory and practice of paradiplomacy

It has become commonplace to assert that the participation of regions (subnational units) (provinces in Canada, cantons in Switzerland, oblasts in Russia, landers in Germany, etc.) in international relations is one of the clearest examples of the globalization processes. This kind of activity has often been called “paradiplomacy.” The aim of this PhD dissertation is to examine the theoretical dimensions of paradiplomacy in the academic discourse of the last four decades, which appeared in the North American and European political science literature on federalism, regionalism and international relations. Through a systematization of the different approaches to the understanding of constituent diplomacy, I try to build in my dissertation project an integrative theoretical explanatory framework that can guide research on regional governments’ involvement in international affairs. In terms of empirical analysis, my PhD project tackles the case study of paradiplomatic activities of the province of Alberta in Canada in order to complement my focus on the theoretical dimension. The scholarly contribution of my PhD dissertation project is important first for all those who study federalism, multi-level governance and IR; the comprehensive examination of the phenomenon of paradiplomacy sheds light on the development of federalism and multi-level governance in a new global environment and contributes to the debates on the issue of “actorness” in contemporary international affairs. One of the most significant results of the dissertation is the constructed explanatory framework that can be used as a guide for the study of the external activities of different subnational governments in various contexts.