ABSTRACT
Trust in Adam Smith's Invisible Hand has generally been our lodestar, even during Democratic administrations which have tended to be more amenable to government restrictions on commerce. Engagement is, on the whole, America's default mode in the sense that we tend to appreciate industry and toil, and do not wish to harm others who themselves do not wish to harm us. Commercial investment and trade are clearly vital to the creation and maintenance of a peaceful and prosperous world. All things equal, engagement of every kind, commercial as well as cultural, educational, diplomatic, and such, tends to promote greater understanding and hence, at least in principle, diminished chances for conflict and hostility. Clare Lockhart may have coined the term development engagement, but the idea is hardly new. Networking among individuals and organizations engaged abroad serves many other important functions besides improved development engagement.
