DIPL2000 Assessment Task 2

PLEASE ENSURE YOU COMPLY WITH THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS:

• The completed assessment should be submitted through Turnitin by 11:59 PM, Tuesday
31st May 2022.

• Late submissions will be penalised in accordance with Coral Bell School policies.

• There are four questions. You are required to answer ONE question.

• Your response should be 1,800 words.

• The word count includes in-text references, endnotes, and adding substantive content
through footnotes. Footnotes that only contain references and the bibliography are not
included in the word count.

• Responses that exceed the maximum word limit by more than 10% will be penalised.

• Each response must include:

• An introduction, body, and conclusion;

• A 100-150 word abstract (not included in the word count);

• Three or four key points at the end of each section that comprises the body of the essay
indicating the main points made in that section. The key points are included in your word
count. Please refer to Kerr and Wiseman’s Diplomacy in a Globalising World for examples.

• The questions are based on the readings, workshops, tutorials, and handouts such as the
weekly outline. Additional research is not required.

• All sources must be referenced using the Chicago Referencing System, with page numbers
supplied for direct quotes, ideas/concepts, and when drawing heavily from the one source.

• Formatting: Insert the question, and question number, at the start of your response.

• Write your word count at the end of the response. • Ensure that you put your student ID on
your paper.

• Use 12-point font, 1.5 or double spacing, page numbers.

• This essay is worth 60% of your final mark for this course. Good luck!

Answer ONE of the questions below.

1. “Realism’s blind spot is that it does not account for diplomats who are either good or bad
at their jobs.” To what extent, and why, do you agree or disagree with this statement? You
should support your response with reference to THREE of the following diplomats: Harold
Nicolson, George Kennan, Prudence Bushnell, Pete Peterson, Ban-Ki Moon
2. “Of the four key activities of diplomacy, crisis management is the most consequential, the
one that most writers on diplomacy devote the most attention to, and the one that we should
spend the most time studying.” To what extent, and why, do you agree or disagree with this
statement? You should support your response with reference to THREE of the following:
Harold Nicolson, George Kennan, Prudence Bushnell, Donald Trump, Nelson Mandela, Xi
Jinping.

3. “Diplomacy’s utter inability to adapt to the times is a recurrent theme in the diplomatic
studies literature.” To what extent, and why, do you agree or disagree with this statement? In
formulating your argument, consider the following conceptual dichotomies: continuity vs
change, old vs new diplomacy, state vs social practice. You must define and address two of
these dichotomous pairings.

4. “Diplomatic leadership is a nebulous concept, but serious thinking about the concept could
help us mitigate many of the vexed problems we confront in contemporary world politics.”
To what extent, and why, do you agree or disagree with this statement? Refer to THREE
themes from the course to support your argument. These themes might include great-power
leadership, notably the special role of US leadership; changing diplomatic practices requiring
leadership, such as the widespread use of summit, conference, and public diplomacy;
revolutionary and post-colonial leadership; individual leadership (the UN Secretary-General)
and moral leadership (Nelson Mandela); “middle power” and small-country leadership;
regional diplomatic leadership; and non-state alternatives to state-based diplomatic
leadership.


END OF ESSAY INSTRUCTIONS