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THE POLITICAL FALL 2019

SCIENCE POST

Newsletter of the BYU Political Science Department

SAN MARINO AND over its 1,700 year history. San Marino either trust or hedge their bets with their
neighbors and countries in their region.
and Italy have engaged in trust-based
THE CONCEPT OF agreement “conventions” since 1862, Examples include the USA and Canada,
dictating some economic activities in
Russia and the country of Georgia,
TRUST BETWEEN San Marino’s territory. But questions China and North Korea, and USA and
Mexico. Some trust their neighbors
relating to how a small dependent country
NATIONS interacts with another larger one, and more than others, under all kinds of
whether one country can ever truly trust circumstances. For example, Italy has
The Republic of San Marino, a small another, arise when analyzing how a required some trading norms with San
independent country nestled in the country like San Marino still exists. This Marino in exchange for its support, such
north of Italy to the east of Florence, on is a question that Professor Kendall as: cultivation of tobacco and production
the northeastern side of the Apennine Stiles has asked and researched in his of goods which are subject to Italy’s
Mountains—one of the smallest nations book: Trust and Hedging in International government monopoly are forbidden in
in the world at just 24 square miles, with Relations. San Marino. Direct import is forbidden
a population of only 33,562 people— in San Marino: all goods coming from a
remains functional almost exclusively A country as small as San Marino, third party have to travel through Italy
because of its trust-based relationship with and other microstates like it including before reaching the country. Although it
the surrounding country of Italy. Founded Europe’s Monaco, Liechtenstein, Andorra is allowed to print its own postal stamps,
in 301 AD, San Marino inevitably had to and Luxembourg, all exercise trust and San Marino is not allowed to coin its own
develop a unique form of independence hedging to survive. All countries, both currency and is obliged to use Italy’s mint.
large and small, to some extent must [continued on page 12]

THE POLITICAL SCIENCE POST | FALL | 1