International Security: Politics, Policy, Prospects

From war, terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, through environmental and economic crises, to epidemics, cyber-war and piracy, the 21st-century world seems beset by a daunting range of international security problems. At the same time, the academic study of security has become more fragmented and contested than ever before as new actors, issues and theories increasingly challenge traditional concepts and approaches.

This innovative new text focuses on the politics of international security: how and why issues are interpreted as threats to international security and how such threats are managed. Each major issue on the contemporary security agenda is examined according to a common framework that equips readers with the conceptual tools and knowledge of real-world problems required for a systematic approach to the subject.

This book provides an exceptionally wide-ranging introduction to international security in the 21st century. The auhor takes a distinctively systematic approach centered on how and why particular issues get onto the international security agenda and particular choices and outcomes ensue, assessing the explanatory power of contending approaches in this context.

MICHAEL E. SMITH is Professor of International Relations, University of Aberdeen, UK and was previously Associate Professor of Political Science, Georgia State University.