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This edited volume provides an inclusive explanation of what, why, and how cities interact with global counterparts as well as with nation states, non-governmental organizations, and foreign publics. The chapters present theoretical and analytical approaches to the study of city diplomacy as well as case studies to capture the nuances of the practice. By bringing together a diverse group of authors in terms of their geographic location, academic and practitioner backgrounds, the volume speaks to multiple disciplines, including diplomacy, political science, communication, sociology, marketing and tourism. Efe Sevin is an Assistant Professor in the Mass Communication Department of Towson University, Maryland, USA. Sohaela Amiri is Pardee RAND Graduate School (PRGS) Fellow at the RAND Corporation, USA. .

Political philosophy. Social philosophy --- International relations. Foreign policy --- Economic geography --- ruimtelijke ordening --- communicatie --- globalisering --- internationale betrekkingen

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In May 2020, the authors fielded a series of questions on attitudes about recruitment, priorities, and challenges affecting American diplomats to a nationally representative, probability-based sample of 2,026 Americans ages 24 and older. Respondents were participants in RAND's American Life Panel (ALP). In June 2021, the authors re-surveyed 1,829 of the same panel participants asking the same questions, with some wording modifications. Between the two ALP surveys, RAND researchers led 14 online focus groups to ask 118 representative Americans more-detailed questions about the reasons for their views on American diplomacy and diplomats. Focus group members were not taken from the ALP and were balanced by gender, demographic category, education, and region. The authors found generally favorable public opinion attitudes toward American diplomats but also found limited understanding of what diplomats do, how they are selected, and how diplomacy interacts with other elements of America's national security establishment. Survey respondents and focus group participants considered support for American citizens abroad to be a core - and much valued - function for diplomats. Survey respondents and focus group participants were less aware that diplomats abroad have export promotion and business support responsibilities. The authors found worrisome levels of opinion that American diplomats, while trustworthy, were politically biased. The finding that the American public had greater confidence in career ambassadors than political appointees also implies that the public would support reduced politicization of State Department positions. Finally, there was a clear preference for diplomats to lead in foreign policy, as opposed to military leaders.

Diplomatic and consular service, American --- Public opinion. --- United States. --- Employees.

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Social media can enhance situational awareness in response operations, but using social media this way poses challenges. The aim of this project was to contribute to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) mission to ensure resilience to disasters by helping DHS understand whether and how social media might be better leveraged for such situational awareness. The primary focus of this research was on U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) response operations. Using several types of analyses, the researchers found that, for decades, the USCG and other boaters have relied on communication channels (e.g., Rescue 21) that are intended specifically for maritime safety. As a result, these channels provide specific information that can be used to locate mariners in distress. Yet the authors also found that a significant proportion of distress calls now come to the USCG through other means, such as cell phones and, indirectly, from 911 calls. This raises concerns about potential hindrances to the USCG's search-and-rescue (SAR) mission, including lack of location information, uncertainty about overwater cell coverage, and lack of organizational capacity to collect and analyze social media information. With these findings, the authors recommend that DHS develop policies and procedures to facilitate sharing cell phone distress location data with the USCG, that the USCG work to ensure that an organization—itself or another—assumes responsibility for understanding cell coverage over water, and that the USCG identify other missions for which social media information could help increase maritime safety and security and enhance environmental protection and response operations.