“International politics is not a cumulative subject in which the latest book makes all the others obsolete . . . . The assumption underlying these pages is that our understanding of international politics is more likely to be improved by reflecting upon and reworking what we already know about the subject, than by topping up our knowledge with either more detailed research or more contemporary analysis. . . . “Each of the chapters deals with a different aspect of international theory . . . . A discerning reader may become aware of certain unifying threads running through and linking all of the chapters. They have all been written out of a conviction that explanation and not prescription is the only proper role of the political scientist; and they all reflect my skepticism about the ‘scientific’ nature of international politics.” — John C. Garnett In a refreshing and clear analysis, Dr. Garnett looks at the nature of international theory and the problems associated with its development. Drawing from many disciplines, he examines fundamental questions in a new way, giving a measure of commonsense to a subject which has become complicated and esoteric. His use of analogies and quotations bring his subject alive in a study that will be of interest to those involved in both the social sciences and politics.

This book uses three controversial contemporary American foreign policy problems to introduce students to the 'new debates' in international relations, in which the criticisms of constructivism, interpretivism, and postmodernism are presented against traditional positivist concepts of social science.

Offering unrivaled coverage of classical theories, contemporary approaches, and current issues, together with an exceptionally clear writing style, Introduction to International Relations, Seventh Edition, provides a genuinely accessible and engaging introduction to the subject. With an emphasis on theoretical approaches and their application to the real world, the authors encourage readers to consider the strengths and weaknesses of the arguments presented, and the major points of contention between them. In this way, the text helps the reader to build a clear understanding of how key debates in the discipline are connected with each other and with our perceptions of developments in the contemporary world. In addition to helpful learning features within the book, the text is accompanied by online resources designed to help students to take their learning further. These include: For students: - Reinforce your understanding of each chapter's key themes with short case studies - Test your understanding and revise for exams with review questions - Explore different theoretical debates through a series of annotated web links to reliable content - Test your knowledge of key terminology using the flashcard glossary For registered lecturers: - Encourage debate and critical thinking in class with seminar resources - Download figures from the text for use in your own teaching materials

Covering 1816–2016, this book deals extensively with the international system as well as the territorial outcomes of several key wars that were waged during that time period, providing an instructive lesson in diplomatic history and international relations among global powers. Based on an in-depth review of the leading theories in the field of international relations, International Relations Theory of War explains an innovative theory on the international system, developed by the author, that he applies comprehensively to a large number of case studies. The book argues that there is a unipolar system that represents a kind of innovation relative to other systemic theories. It further posits that unipolar systems will be less stable than bipolar systems and more stable than multipolar systems, providing new insights relative to other theories that argue that unipolar systems are the most stable ones. The first chapter is devoted to explaining the manner of action of the two dependent variables—systemic international outcome and intra-systemic international outcome. The second chapter presents the international relations theory of war and its key assumptions. The third chapter precisely defines the distribution of power in the system. The fourth chapter examines the theory's two key phenomena. The fifth and last chapter presents the book's conclusions by examining the theoretical assumptions of the international relations theory of war.

This book is designed to introduce readers to a representative range of work which raises what should be regarded as pressing ethical issues in the context of international politics. Although by no means comprehensive in coverage of the possible questions that could be appropriately asked, the chapters convey a sense of how variegated is the field of ethical inquiry in the global realm. Some of the issues are familiar to students of international relations, some of them less so. What they all show, however, is that the academic discipline of international relations has much to learn and benefit from how such problems may be addressed using techniques and approaches that have, until recently, been rather more exclusively restricted to domestic -- nation-statist -- political theory...(From the Introduction) Contents: Introduction: Topics in International Political Theory; Who Should Pay (And How Much) for Realising Human Rights?; World Citizenship and The Ethics of Individual Responsibility; World Hunger, Moral Theory, and Radical Rawlsianism; Kids 'R' Us? Children as Political Bodies; Dealing with the Past: Forgiveness and the Reconstruction of Memory in Divided Societies; Outsour

This work seeks to explore the widely held assumption that the discipline of International Relations is dominated by American scholars, approaches and institutions. It proceeds by defining 'dominance' along Gramscian lines and then identifying different ways in which such dominance could be exerted: agenda-setting, theoretically, methodologically, institutionally, gate-keeping. Turton dedicates a chapter to each of these forms of dominance in which she sets out the arguments in the literature, discusses their theoretical implications, and tests for empirical support. The work argues that the self-image of IR as an American dominated discipline does not reflect the state of affairs once a detailed sociological analysis of the production of knowledge in the discipline is undertaken. Turton argues that the discipline is actually more plural than widely recognized, challenging widely held beliefs in International Relations and it taking a successful step towards unpacking the term 'dominance'. An insightful contribution to the field, this work will be of great interest to students and scholars alike.

Develops a cultural theory of international politics which contrasts with the realist mainstream.

The aims of this book are to discover how significant academic work in international relations has become for practitioners involved in policy formulation and implementation, and to examine the impact of the policy community on academic work and academic values. On the academic side, theoretical, historical and political economy perspectives are presented. On the practitioner side, there are contributions from diplomats, lawyers and parliamentarians. The principal question at issue is whether, if there is a natural partnership between the modern academic and foreign policy makers, there needs to be preserved a respectful distance between the two worlds.