Global Politics in a Changing World

Book excerpt: Global Politics in a Changing World, International Edition blends conceptual writings on international relations with current events coverage from journalistic sources. Case materials in this reader are drawn from all major geographic regions in order to emphasize the global nature of post-Cold War issues. Each chapter approaches the key topics first from a scholarly/theoretical perspective, then follows with readings that present a news/current events context. The readings provide a stimulus for informed debate and discussion and encourage students to view daily events as part of a larger process of change. This unique reader goes beyond the traditional concept of international relations, defined simply as interactions between states. Covering all players in the modern global political scene, topics in the text range from international companies and intergovernmental organizations to traditional states and terrorist organizations. To discuss these varied influences in world politics, the authors have carefully selected a mix of readings that includes journal articles on current events and classic discussions of international relations.