For International Politics, International Relations, World Politics, and Global Issues courses at the undergraduate level. An indispensable "toolkit" for organizing and processing information, this practical text provides students with a mental framework for understanding the historic, contemporary, and future developments of world politics. Using general perspectives and enduring worldviews as a foundation for discussions on more specific theories and concepts, it builds on the premise that a meaningful understanding of world politics consists of four principal elements -1) knowledge of the current world 2) familiarity with its history 3) analysis and interpretation 4) insight into dynamics. It provides a unique and balanced treatment of the competing perspectives on historical and contemporary global issues; consistently and systematically addresses the change-and continuity-that so strongly characterize the field today; and includes a substantial amount of information on global trends, economics, environmental issues, and possible directions of global development.

I. INTRODUCTION. 1. Forces of Change. 2. Elements of Analysis. II. THE WORLD OF POLITICS. 3. Realist, Liberal, and Constructivist Views. 4. States, and the Pursuit of Interest. 5. Dynamics of State Systems. 6. Interaction in the Pursuit of Cooperation. 7. Opening the State. 8. An Emergent Liberal World Order? 9. Organizations and Governance. 10. Constructing Global Society: Identities and Ideas. III. THE GLOBAL POLITICAL ECONOMY. 11. Commercial Liberalism, Mercantilism, and Neo-Marxism. 12. The Globalization of the World Economy. 13. A World Divided. IV. THE BROADER ENVIRONMENT. 14. Modernism and Eco-Wholism. 15. Technological Advance and Human Interaction. 16. Environmental Context and Constraints. V. THE COMPLEXITY OF UNDERSTANDING. 17. Continuity and Change in World Politics. 18. Alternative Futures: The Clash of Perspectives. Glossary. References. Index.