Deep Dive: American Diplomacy - An Interview with Robert B. Zoellick

The New Diplomatist

In this episode, Garrison is joined by Mr. Robert B. Zoellick (former President of the World Bank and Deputy Secretary of State) who is the author of the book "America in the World: A History of U.S. Diplomacy and Foreign Policy". The two discuss Mr. Zoellick's perspectives on American diplomacy grounded in pragmatism, problem-solving, and the influence of history, noting the Five Traditions outlined in his book, and focusing in particular on his chapters regarding the foreign policy of President Lincoln and Secretary of State Seward during the Civil War, as well as the efforts of Secretary of State Charles Evans Hughes during the arms control negotiations of the 1921 Washington Naval Conference.

The two also discuss lessons to be learned from Mr. Zoellick's time as lead negotiator during German re-unification "2+4" talks in 1990, as well as the work of his former boss Secretary of State James Baker and the George H.W. Bush administration to unify alliance perspectives and stabilize Europe in the post-Cold War framework. In light of his experience as President of the World Bank and as the former U.S. Trade Representative under George W. Bush, they discuss Mr. Zoellick's recent op-ed in The Wall Street Journal discussing the need for a strong American trade policy.

Robert B. Zoellick has served as Deputy Secretary, Under Secretary, and Counselor of the U.S. State Department; Ambassador and U.S. Trade Representative; Counselor to the Secretary of the Treasury; Deputy Chief of Staff at the White House; and President of the World Bank.

His experience spans six U.S. presidencies - beginning during the Cold War, in its closing chapter, and into the first decades of the twenty-first century. Zoellick is now a Senior Fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, where he contributes to the "Applied History" project.

Garrison Moratto is the founder and host of The New Diplomatist Podcast; he holds a M.S. of International Relations as well as a B.S. in Government: Public Administration (Summa Cum Laude) from Liberty University in the United States. He will be a Ph.D. candidate in Public Policy - Foreign Policy at Liberty University beginning the fall of 2021, focusing on U.S.-Portuguese relations.

All guest opinions are their own and not that of The New Diplomatist podcast formally. Please subscribe and leave a review for feedback. Thank you for listening.