Institutional Innovation: Organizing for Better International Relationships

American attitudes that have handicapped the United States in building healthy political and economic relationships with other countries in the world are outlined as a prelude to discussion of some creative and successful United States' innovations in relationship building. While acknowledging the United States' role in the U.N. and its agencies, and the significant contributions made by American private sector businesses and organizations, the article focuses on official government efforts in transnational relationship building. Beginning with the post World War II period, the development and organization of transnational institutions ranging from the Fulbright Program to the currently proposed Institute for Human Rights are examined. What seems to be taking place is an ongoing process of development and refinement of our government's capacity to encourage transnational dialog, defuse conflict, and reinforce constructive tendencies in the previously underrated human dimension of foreign policy. Americans may be learning more rapidly than could be expected, given the cultural constraints, some new ways to improve international relations.