ABSTRACT
The selection of statesmanship as an archetype reflects both common use and narrative choices that have been historically made using the term. Statesmanship and statesmen are not without controversy as terms particularly in the context of gender and public administration. Statesmanship tends to stir imagery of “great men” like Henry Kissinger, Winston Churchill, and Abraham Lincoln. There are also examples of female statesmen such as Margaret Thatcher, Indira Gandhi, and Golda Meir, to name a few. The development of the statesmanship literature parallels the development of literature on leadership. One of the more challenging aspects of statesmanship comes from the observation that statesmen serve as quasi politicians. Developing the archetype of statesmanship requires reexamination of some of the historically significant research on the topic. The research of Sir Henry Taylor and Sir Geoffrey Vickers, alongside the more recognizable work of Anthony Downs are used to distill a coherent theoretical treatment of statesmanship as a concept and as a practice.
