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dollar diplomacy

dollar diplomacy

6.9
Giving money and loans to gain influence in other countries
  • noun
  • /ˈdɑːlər dɪˈpləʊməsi/
  • Specialized
translation icon : diplomacia del dólar
  • dollar diplomacy played a crucial role in expanding American investments in Central America during the early twentieth century.
  • a new dollar diplomacy

Examples

  • Dollar diplomacy not only established the terms of how the US government dealt with Latin America.

    Academic text (1999)
  • Two forms of foreign economic control have characterized the new dollar diplomacy era of foreign investment in Latin American industry.

    Academic text (1999)
  • At the same time, Taft's three elements of dollar diplomacy converged at the core of US policy toward Latin America.

    Academic text (1999)
  • Bush confirmed the shift to dollar diplomacy in June 1990, when he launched the "Enterprise for the Americas" to further strengthen democratic structures and economic liberalization.

    Academic text (1999)
  • To be sure, through the twentieth century, American policymakers never abandoned the key tenet of dollar diplomacy: an open door to US investment, finance, and commerce in the Americas.

    Academic text (1999)
  • The government's strategy of dollar diplomacy aimed to strengthen its influence by providing loans to developing nations.

  • Many critics argue that dollar diplomacy prioritizes profits over the welfare of the countries receiving financial aid.

Synonyms

foreign policy
vsdollar diplomacy
362 3.4

A government's plan for dealing with other countries

focuses on using financial power as a specific tool of that strategy
diplomacy
vsdollar diplomacy
  • Formal
201 3.7

Skill in carefully managing talks and relations between people or countries

uses money and loans to extend influence rather than negotiation

How Influential

imperialism
28 8.0
dollar diplomacy
  • Specialized
6.9

Surface Forms

Morphology

dollar + diplomacy

The noun combines 'dollar' (money/financial power) with 'diplomacy' (conducting international relations), so its meaning — using financial resources to influence other countries — is directly inferable from the constituents. This compositional logic is cross-linguistically common (e.g. 'diplomacia del dólar') and thus a B1 learner who knows both words would readily grasp the term's basic sense, even if they might not know its historical/political specifics.

Etymology

Dollar diplomacy puts dollar, meaning money, together with diplomacy, meaning talks with other countries; one popular story says US leaders in the early 1900s used loans and investments to influence other governments instead of using soldiers. So, dollar diplomacy means 'using a country's money to gain influence in other countries'.