● Introduction
● Political Geography
● From Junior Partner to Middle Power
● Canada's Military Commitments
● Canadian-American Relations
● Overseas Development Programs

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Introduction

What sort of role does Canada play in the world? For students of international affairs, the question is whether Canada is a great power, a middle power or a small power. Sometimes it seems as though Canada's influence is comparatively strong: on occasion, Canada has taken a leading role in spearheading change and in shaping the international system. It was Canada that “invented” the concept of United Nations peacekeeping

Canadian Soldiers Keeping the Peace

and convinced the international community to put pressure on South Africa's apartheid policies. In more recent years, partly through Canadian diplomatic efforts, things like women's issues and the environment have been put on the international agenda. Canada is also a member of the powerful Group of Seven, the world's richest economies.

At other times, like during the 1990-1991 Gulf War, although Canada was actively involved in providing the famous “air power” that helped drive the Iraqis out of Kuwait, this contribution is largely overlooked. It is often assumed that Canada simply does what the US tells it to do, and that Canada is simply a "junior partner" as far as its western allies are concerned. Some people argue that Canada used to unquestioningly assist Great Britain in its foreign policy, and then, when Britain lost its status as a world power after World War II, Canada became a junior partner helping American global interests.

Probably the most accurate way to think about Canada, though, is as a “middle power” like Australia and India. While such powers are not as important as, perhaps, the five great powers which sit on the UN Security Council, they nevertheless play an important part in the international system. After all, Canada can and does make a sizeable contribution to the

In May, 1945, St. Laurent and the Canadian Delegation Played a Significant Role at the San Francisco Conference to Establish the Charter of the United Nations.

international system, and has a global reputation as being an "honest broker," which can be relied on to mediate disputes and ensure good relations among nations rather than to try to score political points and further its own power and influence. John Holmes, one of Canada's most famous political historians, wrote that "not so much by conviction as by laziness—and a surfeit of territory—[Canadians] prefer to be a supplementary rather than a leading power." In other words, Canadian policy-makers take a pragmatic approach to foreign policy, willing to lead on certain issues if necessary, but in general preferring to work behind the scenes to get things done.

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