On First Ladies and Their International Roles

Often, when one thinks of the First Lady of the United States (FLOTUS), the images that most commonly come to mind are those of her as hostess when a foreign leader or representative comes to the White House. Or hosting their counterparts in luncheons while their husbands may be in meetings discussing at length foreign affairs. If abroad, often we see her on the arm of her husband on trips abroad (as we have seen recently with Melania Trump). To some degree then, FLOTUS has become a very visible international figure. However, domestic rather than international affairs are often associated with FLOTUS, for various reasons I briefly introduce below.

Arguably, while modern first ladies have achieved considerable agency in their informal position as partner of the president, all first ladies have struggled within the constraints of gender stereotyping, traditional gender roles, and (to some extent) the Constitution itself (which is silent on the official role a presidential spouse may play). This produces a dynamic in which the First Lady can be notably restrained when trying to have formal policy influence while still seen as a feminist icon. Extrapolated to the domain of international affairs, this complicated dynamic becomes more readily visible. For example, how does one define international influence? Is it formal or informal, through advocation of policy or taking on social causes?

In the video below, I briefly explore the history of FLOTUS as an international figure and then go on to focus on three first ladies with varying degrees of influence on international affairs or foreign policy: Eleanor Roosevelt, Hillary Clinton, and Michelle Obama.