The Role of U.S. State Governments in International Relations

What is it about?

All 50 U.S. state governments are involved in international relations and many maintain overseas offices. In the U.S. federal system that divides authority between national and regional governments, the international dimension of state government activity is often overlooked, but this dimension can be both interesting and at times controversial.

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Why is it important?

Contemporary international relations is very complex, and this article highlighting U.S. state government involvement abroad from 1980 through 2015 contributes to this complexity. Many current issues in the United States such as climate change and immigration divide the national government in Washington, D.C. and several state governments. This article helps explain both the domestic and international repercussions of such divisions in the U.S. federal system.

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