International Relations

Using a three-part framework of Ideas, Arguments, and Contexts and Applications, International Relations, Second Edition, shows students how to think critically about issues and current events in world politics. Each chapter first describes key concepts and developments in the field (Ideas), then presents the main theoretical and analytical approaches (Arguments), and finally applies the main theories and approaches within the individual, state, and global contexts (Contexts and Applications). Historical information is woven throughout the text, and every chapter ends with an extended case study ("The Uses of History") that demonstrates how what we have learned from the past can influence our future actions. Three full chapters on key approaches--realism (chapter 2), liberalism (chapter 3), and constructivism and other alternative views (chapter 4)--introduce students to a broad spectrum of approaches, and each chapter integrates discussions of relevant theories and levels of analysis. Visual Reviews at the end of each chapter not only recap key points but include Critical Thinking questions that reflect the chapter learning objectives.