Apology Diplomacy: The International Image Effects of Interstate Apologies
Can states improve their international image by apologizing for past wrongs, or do apologies hurt countries’ reputations? We argue that apologizing can boost a country’s international image by providing reassurance about future behavior and conveying appropriate values. Yet, apologies could also signal weakness, and their international effects may depend on reactions in the sending and receiving country. To test these arguments, we pair two large-scale U.S.-based survey experiments focused on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine with an historical case illustration. In our experiments, respondents learned whether a foreign state apologized for past offenses, how the target of the apology responded, whether key domestic groups in the sender opposed the apology, and whether the sender was democratic or not. We found that, regardless of the sender’s regime type, apologies boosted favorability towards the sender and willingness to cooperate with it, while not indicating weakness. These effects persisted even when the target rejected the apology and/or the apology provoked backlash inside the sender. Our findings suggest that apologies may be a powerful tool of public diplomacy.
Professor Jessica Weeks' research has appeared in or is forthcoming in journals including the American Political Science Review, the American Journal of Political Science, the Journal of Politics, International Organization, and World Politics. Her book, Dictators at War and Peace, explores the domestic politics of international conflict in dictatorships, and was published in 2014 in the Cornell Studies in Security Affairs Series at Cornell University Press. Weeks is the 2018 recipient of the International Studies Association Karl Deutsch Award, recognizing the scholar under 40 who has made the most significant contribution to the study of international relations.
Professor Weeks received her B.A. in political science from The Ohio State University in 2001, a Master’s degree in international history from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in 2003, and a PhD in political science from Stanford University in 2009. Prior to joining the Wisconsin faculty, Professor Weeks was an Assistant Professor of Government at Cornell University.