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it significant leeway to pursue policies at odds with American policy. Although tweaking the eagle’s beak now and then has a certain political and cultural utility in Canada, doing so has also periodically engendered the ire of American officials.
From this fundamental clash of worldviews and global policy roles, Doran argued, stems significant friction within partnership. In each of this volume’s chapters addressing the political-strategic dimension, the historical origins of the difference are clear, as are the modern challenges arising from this fundamental divergence in Canadian and U.S. worldviews and policy roles. Robert Bothwell’s piece considers the origins of postwar strengthening of partnership rising from the ashes of World War II. Nicolas Choquette-Levy and Patrick James take on some of the contemporary structural differences in partnership as set within the international system. David G. Haglund then walks readers through contemporary security relations, particularly those that evolved after September 11, 2001. The implements of hard power applied at borders contrast with John Kirton’s treatment of soft power as a major pillar of Canadian foreign policy and its role in shaping partnership. Colin Robertson, veteran of the Canadian foreign service, builds upon the soft-power theme with his prescriptive treatment of recent Canada-U.S. diplomacy. Finally, Joseph T. Jockel and Joel J. Sokolsky examine changes to bilateral defense relations that have anchored the relationship for most of the postwar period but have, for many, suffered a precipitous decline.
The Trade-Commercial Dimension (TC)
Trade and commercial activity between Canada and the United States have been integral to the interaction of both countries since the time they were components of European colonies. However, yet again the focus of both countries within trade and commercial partnership often leaves each out of step with the other, the integration projects of the late 1980s and early 1990s notwithstanding. As several of the pieces in this volume note, Canada places significant, possibly even disproportionate, emphasis on trade and commercial relations with the United States. With a large geographical area and a small population, Canada is much more