From American involvement in Iraq to post-apartheid South Africa, the issue of public participation in foreign policy has gained considerable prominence in the last decade. The recent WikiLeaks campaign has brought the issue to the forefront of public opinion by dispelling the veil of secrecy behind which politics once hid. The public is becoming increasingly immersed in the political landscape, and widespread opposition to both the war in Iraq and the financial cuts suggests that the people are rediscovering their political voice. Bringing together a range of opinions from academia, government, think tanks, non-governmental organizations, trade unions and business, this book raises potent questions about the role of the public in shaping foreign policy. It explores the breakdown of the boundaries between the public domain and the government and argues that there is a still a long way to go before public opinion will have the power to alter foreign policy.

Experts from academia, governments, think tanks, NGOs, trade unions, and business investigate whether the public should play a greater role in foreign policy making by analysing their current role in the Iraq war (USA), Post-Apartheid (South Africa), trade relations with China (New Zealand) and other cases.