Chapter 1: Theories of Global PoliticsChapter 2: The Historical SettingChapter 3: The Modern EraChapter 4: The Power of StatesChapter 5: Inside States: The Making of Foreign PolicyChapter 6: International ConflictChapter 7: State Efforts to Avoid Conflict: Alliances, Arms, and BargainingChapter 8: Global Security Efforts: International Organizations,
Law, and EthicsChapter 9: Interdependence Among Rich States: International Political Economy in the NorthChapter 10: The Developing States in the International Political EconomyChapter 11: Regional Economic Integration in the Global Political EconomyChapter 12: The Global Environment and Its InhabitantsChapter 13: Transnational Actors: The Wave of the Future?Chapter 14: Globalization: Contemporary Dynamics and the Future of World PoliticsChapter 1: Theories of Global Politics
The basic objective of this chapter is to discuss and compare major theoretical traditions in the discipline of international relations. The chapter begins with a survey of realism, the dominant paradigm, and then discusses alternatives in liberalism, idealism, world system theory, constructivism, and feminism. The chapter foreshadows later discussions of all major themes, from theories of the causes of war to the potential for international cooperation.
Top
Chapter 2: The Historical Setting
This chapter has several historically oriented objectives. First, students should acquire some knowledge of the development of states as social, political, and economic entities. Second, students should be encouraged to see that states in their modern form have not existed forever and might well undergo significant changes in the coming decades. Third, the historical record provides an important social scientific laboratory for the exploration of the utility of contending theoretical approaches. The discussion of realism, liberalism, and idealism in relation to history raises interesting research questions. An application of world economic system theory might help students to understand the world from the viewpoint of less developed states and sensitize students to several issues that are dealt with in the discussion of dependency theory.
It is important to add that this chapter, along with Chapter 3, performs a necessary function in any introductory international relations course: to acquaint students with the basic historical foundations of international politics. Even some of our better students may con-fuse the Greek and Roman systems or the events surrounding the First World War with those leading up to the Second World War (and vice versa). Furthermore, they may have little sense of the influence that these wars had on the generation of policymakers who have been in power in most major countries virtually up to the present day. After reading this chapter, students should know at least the basic facts about global politics before the Second World War.
Top
Chapter 3: The Modern Era
One purpose of this chapter is to review important historical developments from World War II to the present. Aside from its obvious substantive aims, the discussion of recent history is meant to evoke some critical thought about the utility of theoretical approaches. One could argue that the chapter over-interprets the centrality of the Cold War to these struggles, but this does serve as a valuable heuristic. Finally, the discussion of ethnic groups and ethnic conflict raises new questions about theoretical models.
Top
Chapter 4: The Power of States
The objectives of this chapter are relatively straightforward. After differentiating nation and state, the chapter devotes detailed attention to the concept of power. The discussion should lead to some understanding of and appreciation for the process of operationalizing concepts. The section might also be used to encourage students to consider empirical evidence in a critical fashion and to understand the relationship of traditional, historical, intuitive analyses of foreign policies on the one hand and systematic empirical studies on the other. Finally, the discussion of theoretical models raises questions of utility. World economic system analysis might help students to understand the world from the view-point of developing states and sensitize students to several issues that are dealt with in the discussion of dependency theory. The discussion of the differences between the terms states and nations also raises important questions for constructivism.
Top
Chapter 5: Inside States: The Making of Foreign Policy
The purpose of this chapter is to explore the foreign policy decision-making process. The authors thoroughly address sets of actors that can influence the process, including leaders, public opinion, interest groups, and other political institutions. The discussion of military-industrial complexes alludes to the epistemological point that a key attribute of useful theories involves their ability to produce accurate predictions. The section on leadership draws important perspectives from related studies in psychology and sociology to build theories of behavior.
Top
Chapter 6: International Conflict
This chapter may be challenging for students in introductory international relations courses, but it presents material that is at the core of the discipline. Using war as a central focus, the authors explore the problem of warfare and the development of theories to explain this phenomenon at the system, state, and individual levels of analysis. The system level of analysis focuses on characteristics of the international structure as the root of war. The state level of analysis explores factors like the type of economic system and type of government. Ethnic conflict has attracted a great deal of attention in the modern era and is worthy of careful examination. Ethnic conflict did increase from the early 1950s to the early 1990s. The resolution of ethnic conflict is a very controversial idea that will involve democratization, redrawing boundaries and recognizing rights of self-determination. Demonstration of the utility of theories at multiple levels of analysis is a useful exercise for students and will alert them to the reality that even seemingly powerful theories have limitations.
Top
Chapter 7: State Efforts to Avoid Conflict: Alliances, Arms, and Bargaining
All three of the themes developed in this chapter illustrate ways that power balances may affect prospects for cooperation or conflict. The discussion of alliances and wars gives students a sense of the levels of analysis problem. In addition, the section on proliferation adds greatly to contemporary perspectives on the prospects for war and peace. The discussion of deterrence and arms races is obviously designed to destroy, if possible, the notion that the history of the Cold War is boring because the chance of a real war breaking out was never realistic. Along the way, students should learn a little about game theory (especially the prisoners dilemma game), the history of arms races, and debates about the pros and cons of nuclear proliferation.
Top
Chapter 8: Global Security Efforts: International Organizations,
Law, and Ethics
This chapter highlights the many avenues for international cooperation in the world today. Obviously, students should become familiar with the institutional structure of the United Nations, how and why the structure has evolved over the years, and what problems related to its structure afflict the United Nations today. After reading this chapter, students should be able to articulate both sides of the debate about U.S.-UN relations, and they should have a sense of the need to revamp the structure of the United Nations. Students should learn about international law and broader questions of emerging norms of cooperation in world politics. Other main objectives are to distinguish between the deontological and utilitarian approaches to moral questions and to present opposing arguments regarding a few of the more important moral dilemmas in international politics today. Finally, the notion of regimes is introduced, and an explicit argument is made for the potential influence of ethical values on international politics.
Top
Chapter 9: Interdependence Among Rich States: International Political Economy in the North
The goals of this chapter are relatively modest and descriptive in form, although the economic controversies dealt with in the latter part of the chapter are certainly complex. The landscape of the international economic system is so unfamiliar to most students that achieving an understanding of its major contours is in itself a formidable task. By reading this chapter, students should learn the basic functions of the IMF, the World Bank, and GATT. They should also acquire some knowledge of basic economic concepts, such as comparative advantage, international trade, and currency exchange. Finally, contemporary issues related to the management of international political economy are examined in some detail.
Top
Chapter 10: The Developing States in the International Political Economy
There is a considerable chasm between rich and poor countries in the world. The gap, by many measures, is increasing, and hundreds of millions of people in the world are suffering. The chapter addresses a range of theories to interpret these economic disparities including world system theory, dependency, and economic liberalism. The chapter also discusses potential solutions to the situation, including remedies ranging from export-oriented growth strategies to the NIEO to grassroots development initiatives.
Top
Chapter 11: Regional Economic Integration in the Global Political Economy
This chapter addresses contemporary transnational issues including economic integration, free trade, and the North-South gap. Interpretation of the various historical initiatives on integration is related to the ongoing debate between functionalist and neofunctionalist interpretations of international cooperation. The chapter raises interesting questions about globalization and the development of supranational institutions.
Top
Chapter 12: The Global Environment and Its Inhabitants
This chapter addresses concerns of the global community as a whole. In virtually all cases, divisions among nations make these problems more difficult to handle. The first part of the chapter acquaints students with the dimensions and scope of global crises involving world hunger, the population explosion, the depletion of natural resources, and pollution. The second part of the chapter explores contending perspectives on the nature of the problem and potential solutions. Finally, the chapter examines how different theo-retical approaches account for these increasingly transnational and trans-sovereign issues in the 21st century.
Top
Chapter 13: Transnational Actors: The Wave of the Future?
Certainly one goal of this chapter is to point out that an international (perhaps global is the better term) political system dominated by nation-states is not without challenge. As noted in Chapter 12, transnational actors are showing signs of becoming more crucial players on the global political stage. A significant part of the chapter is devoted to descriptive information about these organizations. The discussion of multinational corporations, nongovernmental organizations, and terrorist groups also provides a useful exercise in conceptualization. The section on terrorism has been significantly updated from past editions and provides many important touchstones for students to address the theme.
Top
Chapter 14: Globalization: Contemporary Dynamics and the Future of World Politics
The first section of this chapter introduces the concept of globalization to the students--arguably the most important process affecting relations between state and nonstate actors today. Three dimensions of globalization are explored: economic, political, and cultural change. But the chapter is also careful to detail the philosophical and theoretical debates created by these trends. In summary, the debate over globalization addresses core concepts in the discipline, including the dominance of the sovereign state in international relations.
Top
