International Relations Today, 2nd Edition

Book description

International Relations Today, 2e, captures the drastic changes that the discipline of international relations (IR) has undergone since the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War in 1991. It delves into the way the US has emerged as the only superpower in the world and its impact in making international politics seemingly unipolar. However, in his analysis, the author also shows that how international politics today also signals the possibility of a multipolar world. The rise of China as a major military and economic power, the potential of Russia, India and Germany as tomorrow's big powers and the success of the European Union and ASEAN as economic and political blocs of considerable substance point towards the feasibility of a multipolar world.
Other than covering the change in the world order post Cold War and on the face of emerging issues in international relations such as environment, terrorism and globalization, this book has added discussion on two important theories, namely, the English School and Critical Theory and updated content on foreign policies of major powers.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. About Pearson
  3. Title Page
  4. Contents
  5. List of Tables, Figures and Boxes
  6. Preface to the Second Edition
  7. Preface to the First Edition
  8. About the Author
  9. 1 The Discipline of International Relations
    1. HISTORY AND EVOLUTION OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS (IR)
    2. NATURE AND SCOPE OF IR
    3. Nature of IR
    4. Theories and Methodologies
    5. International Relations or International Politics?
    6. Definition of IR
    7. Scope of IR
    8. IR IN EVERYDAY LIFE
    9. QUESTIONS
  10. 2 Important Theories in International Relations
    1. WHAT IS A ‘THEORY’ AND WHY IS IT REQUIRED?
    2. THEORIES IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
    3. LIBERAL THEORY (INCLUDING PLURALISM)
    4. Neo-liberalism
    5. Pluralist Theory
    6. An Evaluation of Liberal Theory (including Pluralism)
    7. REALIST THEORY
    8. An Evaluation of Realist Theory
    9. THE ENGLISH SCHOOL (INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY APPROACH)
    10. Origin and Intellectual Traditions
    11. Major Arguments
    12. Pluralist and Solidarist Divide in the English School
    13. A Critique of the EST
    14. CRITICAL THEORY IN IR
    15. Meaning and Origin
    16. Major Arguments
    17. Critical Theory and IR
    18. A Critique of the Critical Theory in IR
    19. MARXIST THEORY IN IR
    20. An Evaluation of Marxist Theory of IR
    21. WORLD SYSTEM THEORY
    22. An Evaluation of WST
    23. GAME THEORY
    24. Prisoner’s Dilemma: An Example of the Zero-Sum Game
    25. An Evaluation of Game Theory
    26. DECISION-MAKING THEORY
    27. SYSTEMS THEORY
    28. An Evaluation of Systems Theory in IR
    29. COMMUNICATION THEORY
    30. An Evaluation of Communication Theory
    31. POSTMODERNISM
    32. An Evaluation of Postmodernism in IR
    33. CONSTRUCTIVISM
    34. An Evaluation of Constructivism in IR
    35. FEMINISM IN IR
    36. Conclusion
    37. QUESTIONS
  11. 3 Basic Concepts
    1. STATE AS AN ACTOR IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
    2. NON-STATE ACTORS
    3. Multinational Corporations (MNCs)
    4. Inter-governmental Organizations
    5. International Non-governmental Organizations
    6. NATIONAL POWER
    7. Elements of National Power
    8. Geography
    9. Population
    10. Natural Resources
    11. Popular Support
    12. National Character
    13. Technology and Military Strength
    14. Ideology
    15. Leadership
    16. BALANCE OF POWER
    17. Characteristics of Balance of Power
    18. Methods of Balance of Power
    19. Divide and Rule
    20. Compensations
    21. Armaments
    22. Alliances
    23. BALANCE OF TERROR
    24. IMPERIALISM AND COLONIALISM
    25. NEOCOLONIALISM
    26. Methods of Neocolonialism
    27. RACISM
    28. QUESTIONS
  12. 4 Concepts and Techniques of Foreign Policy
    1. NATIONAL INTEREST
    2. DIPLOMACY
    3. Definition
    4. Main Tasks of Diplomacy
    5. Functions of Diplomats
    6. Representation
    7. Negotiation
    8. Reporting
    9. Protection of the Interest of the Nation and Its Citizens in Foreign Land
    10. Open and Secret Diplomacy
    11. Economic Diplomacy
    12. Future of Diplomacy
    13. PROPAGANDA
    14. Definition
    15. Techniques
    16. Methods of Presentation
    17. Techniques of Gaining Attention
    18. Devices for Gaining Response
    19. Methods of Gaining Acceptance
    20. MILITARY AND FOREIGN POLICY
    21. Making of Foreign Policy
    22. Head of the Government and the Foreign Minister
    23. The Legislature
    24. Interest Groups and Lobbies
    25. Public Opinion
    26. QUESTIONS
  13. 5 The United Nations
    1. THE ORIGIN OF THE UN
    2. IMPORTANT ORGANS OF THE UN
    3. The General Assembly
    4. Composition and Voting
    5. Major Functions
    6. Evaluation of the Role of the GA
    7. The Security Council
    8. Composition
    9. Voting
    10. Major Functions
    11. Evaluation of the Role of the Security Council
    12. The Economic and Social Council
    13. Composition
    14. Functions and Powers of the ECOSOC
    15. Evaluation of the Role of the ECOSOC
    16. The Secretariat
    17. Composition
    18. Powers and Functions
    19. The Secretary-General
    20. Appointment of the Secretary-General
    21. Functions of the Secretary-General
    22. A Brief Evaluation of the Role of the Secretary-General
    23. International Court of Justice (The World Court)
    24. Composition
    25. Functions
    26. An Evaluation of the World Court
    27. COLLECTIVE SECURITY
    28. The Concept and Its Application
    29. Limitations of Collective Security
    30. UN PEACEKEEPING
    31. UN PEACEMAKING
    32. HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE UNITED NATIONS
    33. UN REFORM PROPOSALS
    34. Minor Reforms
    35. Major Reforms
    36. Other Reforms
    37. QUESTIONS
    38. ENDNOTES
  14. 6 Other Inter-governmental Organizations
    1. NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT (NAM)
    2. Origin of the NAM
    3. Membership of the NAM
    4. Organizational Structure of the NAM
    5. Relevance of the NAM in Today’s World
    6. COMMONWEALTH OF NATIONS
    7. Origin
    8. Membership
    9. Structure
    10. Head of the Organization
    11. Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
    12. Commonwealth Secretariat
    13. Main Objectives and Activities
    14. NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION (NATO)
    15. Origin
    16. Membership
    17. Structure
    18. Civilian (Political) Structures
    19. Military Structure
    20. Agencies and Organizations
    21. Functions of the NATO: A Critical Appraisal
    22. QUESTIONS
  15. 7 Cold War Politics and Beyond
    1. ORIGIN OF THE COLD WAR
    2. EVOLUTION OF THE COLD WAR
    3. Cold War in the 1940s
    4. Cold War in the 1950s
    5. Cold War in the 1960s
    6. Cold War in the 1970s
    7. Cold War in the 1980s
    8. CAUSES OF THE END OF THE COLD WAR
    9. ETHNICITY AND NATIONALISM IN EAST EUROPE
    10. Ethnic Nationalism in Former Czechoslovakia
    11. Ethnic Nationalism in Former Yugoslavia
    12. Ethnic Problem in the Russian Federation
    13. POST–COLD WAR WORLD ORDER
    14. QUESTIONS
  16. 8 Security and Nuclear Issues After the Second World War
    1. THE NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION TREATY
    2. Important Articles of the NPT
    3. India, Pakistan and the NPT
    4. THE COMPREHENSIVE TEST BAN TREATY
    5. Important Provisions in the CTBT
    6. CTBT: The Current Position
    7. CTBT and India
    8. THE FMCT AND THE MTCR
    9. FMCT: An Unfinished Story
    10. MTCR: Another Step Towards Nonproliferation
    11. MTCR Guidelines
    12. MTCR: The Balance Sheet
    13. WMD AND THE PRESENT WORLD
    14. QUESTIONS
  17. 9 Regional Organizations
    1. SOUTH ASIAN ASSOCIATION FOR REGIONAL COOPERATION (SAARC)
    2. Origin and Members
    3. Objectives of the SAARC
    4. Administrative Structure of the Organization
    5. SAARC Summits
    6. Agreement on South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA)
    7. The SAARC Social Charter
    8. Future of the SAARC
    9. ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH EAST ASIAN NATIONS (ASEAN)
    10. Origin and Members
    11. Objectives
    12. Organizational Structure
    13. Other Collaborative Forums
    14. ASEAN Free Trade Area and Related Free Trade Agreements
    15. The ASEAN Charter
    16. The ASEAN: An Evaluation
    17. THE EUROPEAN UNION
    18. Origin
    19. Membership and Organizational Structure
    20. The EU Today
    21. The Future of the Union
    22. THE AFRICAN UNION
    23. Origin and Membership
    24. Organizational Structure
    25. The AU (and the Former OAU) at Work
    26. An Evaluation of the AU
    27. NORTH AMERICAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT (NAFTA)
    28. Origin and Members
    29. Objectives
    30. The NAFTA and Regional Trade
    31. Controversies Over the Agreement
    32. THE FUTURE OF THE NAFTA
    33. QUESTIONS
    34. ENDNOTES
  18. 10 International Political Economy
    1. FROM BRETTON WOODS TO THE WTO
    2. WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION (WTO)
    3. Objectives and Membership
    4. Organizational Structure and Voting
    5. Main Functions of the WTO
    6. Assisting and Developing Transitional Economies
    7. Providing Specialized Help for Export Promotion
    8. Extending Cooperation in Global Economic Policy-making
    9. Monitoring Implementation of the Agreements Covered
    10. Maintaining the Basic Principles of International Trade
    11. WTO: An Appraisal
    12. ECONOMIC ORDER OF THE PRESENT WORLD
    13. The Divergent Economic Order
    14. The Role of MNCs
    15. The North–South Divide
    16. Problems of the South
    17. IR Theories and the North–South Divide
    18. FUTURE OF THE WORLD ECONOMIC ORDER
    19. QUESTIONS
  19. 11 Foreign Policies of Major Nations: India, The United States, China, Russia, Japan, England
    1. PART I
      1. INDIA’S FOREIGN POLICY
      2. Origin and Philosophical Base
      3. Basic Principles of India’s Foreign Policy
      4. Evolution of India’s Foreign Policy: The Cold War Period
      5. Jawaharlal Nehru (1947–64)
      6. Lal Bahadur Shastri (1964–66) and Indira Gandhi (1966–77 and 1979–84)
      7. Morarji Desai (1977–79) and Charan Singh (1979)
      8. Rajiv Gandhi (1984–89)
      9. V. P. Singh (1989–90) and Chandra Sekhar (1990–91)
      10. India’s Foreign Policy After the Cold War
      11. Narasimha Rao (1991–96): The First Indian Prime Minister After the Cold War
      12. H. D. Deve Gowda (1996–97) and I. K. Gujral (1997–98)
      13. Atal Behari Vajpayee (1998–99 and 1999–2004)
      14. Manmohan Singh (2004–09 and 2009–14)
      15. Narendra Modi (2014–)
    2. PART II
      1. FOREIGN POLICY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
      2. Origin and Evolution
      3. US Foreign Policy After the Cold War
      4. US–India Relations After the Cold War
    3. PART III
      1. FOREIGN POLICY OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
      2. Origin and Evolution
      3. Foreign Policy of China Under Mao Zhe Dong (1949–76)
      4. China’s Foreign Policy After Mao (1977–91)
      5. China’s Foreign Policy After the Cold War
      6. China–India Relations After the Cold War
    4. PART IV
      1. FOREIGN POLICY OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
      2. The Post–Cold War Dilemma
      3. The Yeltsin Period: An Incoherent Beginning
      4. The Putin Presidency: A Resurgent Russia
      5. The Medvedev Presidency
      6. Russia–India Relations After the Cold War
    5. PART V
      1. FOREIGN POLICY OF JAPAN AFTER THE COLD WAR
      2. JAPAN–INDIA RELATIONS AFTER THE COLD WAR
    6. PART VI
      1. FOREIGN POLICY OF ENGLAND AFTER THE COLD WAR
      2. ENGLAND–INDIA RELATIONS AFTER THE COLD WAR
    7. QUESTIONS
    8. ENDNOTES
  20. 12 Recent Issues in International Relations
    1. GLOBALIZATION
    2. Meaning of the Term
    3. Globalization: Different Views
    4. Globalization and Sovereignty of the State
    5. ENVIRONMENT
    6. Global Warming and Climate Change
    7. Demographic Issues
    8. Environment and International Peace
    9. International Efforts to Safeguard the Environment
    10. ENERGY
    11. Energy and International Relations Today
    12. TERRORISM
    13. Definition and Short History
    14. Types of Terrorism
    15. Political Terrorism
    16. Ethnic Terrorism
    17. Religious Terrorism
    18. State Terrorism
    19. International Terrorism
    20. The Changing Nature of Contemporary Terrorism
    21. Terrorism and International Relations Today
    22. QUESTIONS
    23. ENDNOTES
  21. Bibliography
  22. Index
  23. Copyright

Product information

  • Title: International Relations Today, 2nd Edition
  • Author(s): Aneek Chatterjee
  • Release date: June 2018
  • Publisher(s): Pearson Education India
  • ISBN: 9789353063955