Perspectives on International Relations
Power, Institutions, and Ideas

Seventh Edition

Henry R. Nau - George Washington University, USA

Courses:
International Relations & World Politics | Introduction to International Relations | Introduction to International Relations

January 2020 | 512 pages | CQ Press

“Nau clarifies that which is complicated, thereby allowing students to make better sense of their world and to become better global citizens.”
—Stewart Dippel, University of the Ozarks

Henry R. Nau’s best-selling book, Perspectives on International Relations, is admired for its even-handed presentation of realism, liberalism, constructivism, and critical theory and for integrating these perspectives in every chapter. Students are able to explore the ways these different perspectives shape our understanding of the root causes of historical events and current controversies, and then think critically about the world’s most urgent issues. The new Seventh Edition includes updates on Brexit, the rise of nationalism, the escalation of terrorism, the use of social media in political protests around the world, and continuing developments in North Korea, Syria, Iran, China, and Russia.

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Figures, Maps, Parallel Timelines, and Tables

Preface

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Introduction • Why We Disagree about International Relations

The Crisis in Syria

The Roles of Perspectives, Levels of Analysis, and Causal Arrows

The Role of History

The Role of Methods

Is One Perspective or Method Best?

The Role of Judgment

The Role of Ethics and Morality

Summary

Key Concepts

Study Questions

Chapter 1 • How to Think about International Relations: Perspectives, Levels of Analysis, and Causal Arrows

The Attacks of September 11

Prisoner’s Dilemma

The Realist Perspective

The Liberal Perspective

The Identity Perspective

Critical Theory Perspectives

Levels of Analysis

Causal Arrows

Key Concepts

Study Questions

PART I • HISTORICAL PATTERNS

Chapter 2 • World War I: World on Fire

Europe in 1914

Realist Explanations

Liberal Explanations

The Last Move

Identity Explanations

Critical Theory Explanations

Summary

Key Concepts

Study Questions

Chapter 3 • World War II: Why Did War Happen Again?

Causes of Madness

Liberal Accounts

Realist Accounts

Identity Matters

Critical Theory Perspective

Summary

Key Concepts

Study Questions

Chapter 4 • The Origins and End of the Cold War

The Long Telegram

Snapshot of the Cold War

Realist Explanations

Identity Explanations

Liberal Explanations

Critical Theory Perspective

Summary

Key Concepts

Study Questions

PART II • THE CONTEMPORARY INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM

Chapter 5 • Realist Perspectives on Today’s World: Unipolarity, Rising Powers, Asymmetric Warfare, and Ethnic Conflicts

Unipolarity

Multipolarity

Asymmetric Warfare

State Sovereignty, Decision Making, and Ethnic Conflicts

Summary

Key Concepts

Study Questions

Chapter 6 • Liberal Perspectives on Today’s World: Collective Security, Multilateral Diplomacy, Interdependence, and International Institutions

Collective Security

Multilateral Diplomacy

Interdependence

International Institutions

Regional Institutions

Summary

Key Concepts

Study Questions

Chapter 7 • Identity Perspectives on Today’s World: Democracy, Religion, Nationalism, and Human Rights

Democracy

Religion

Nationalism

Human Rights

Summary

Key Concepts

Study Questions

PART III • GLOBALIZATION AND CHANGE

Chapter 8 • Realist and Liberal Perspectives on Globalization: Security, Domestic Economy, Trade, Investment, and Finance

Snapshot of Globalization

Security and Economics

Domestic Economic Policies

Trade

Investment

Finance

Summary

Key Concepts

Study Questions

Chapter 9 • Identity Perspectives on Globalization: Development and Environment

Asia

Latin America

Sub-Saharan Africa

Middle East and North Africa

Environment

Summary

Key Concepts

Study Questions

Chapter 10 • Critical Theory Perspectives on Globalization: Inequality, Imperialism, and Injustice

Colonialism and Imperialism

Dependency

World Systems

Multinational Corporations and Exploitation of Labor

Marginalized Minorities: Global Injustice

Persisting Global Inequality

Summary

Key Concepts

Study Questions

Conclusion • Applying Perspectives and Levels of Analysis: The Case of the Democratic Peace

Evidence

Explanations

Summary

Coda

Key Concepts

Study Questions

Glossary of Key Concepts

Notes

Index

Supplements

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“Nau clarifies that which is complicated, thereby allowing students to make better sense of their world and to become better global citizens.”

Stewart Dippel

University of the Ozarks

“The great strength of Nau's Perspectives on International Relations is the way that theoretical perspectives are illustrated through their application in historical cases and contemporary issues. Students are really able to understand how different perspectives raise unique analytical questions by seeing them applied in a variety of situations.”

Michael J. Struett

North Carolina State University

“Comprehensive and approachable to students.”

Luca Zini

Florida International University

Comprehensive review of major theoretical approaches in the field with historical and contemporary applications

Robert Packer

Political Science Dept, Pennsylvania State University

December 12, 2020

Report this review

Key features

NEW TO THIS EDITION:

Recent developments have been incorporated throughout the book, including the rise of nationalism in the United States and around the world; conflicts in Russia, Crimea, and the Ukraine; and the use of social media in political protests around the world.
Part II, which focuses on the contemporary international system, has been substantially updated to better distinguish the features of the contemporary system that stand out from the different perspectives. These updates will help students sort out the many, often confusing debates about contemporary affairs. Chapter 5 includes major sections on unipolarity, multipolarity, asymmetric warfare, and state sovereignty, decision making, and ethnic conflicts, while Chapter 6 features expanded coverage of interdependence.
The globalization section (Part III) has been updated with the latest information on populist reactions to global trade, growing debt problems around the world, sluggish energy markets, slowing global growth, accelerating migrant and refugee flows, and the latest developments affecting climate change.
To help students better understand the issue of cause and effect, many new causal arrows appear in the margins near the text's discussions of causality.
Streamlined discussion throughout, particularly in the early chapters.

KEY FEATURES:

SAGE course outcomes help you track and measure student success. Crafted with specific course outcomes in mind and vetted by advisors in the field, SAGE course outcomes clearly define and benchmark the knowledge and skills students are expected to achieve upon completion of your course.

Continuously incorporates the three core theories - realism, liberalism, and constructivism - throughout the book, providing students with opportunities to apply these perspectives to world events.

The book's “Causal Arrows” are visual cues that help students see and better understand what happened and why it happened. Grounded in the various theoretical perspectives, the feature prompts students to consider different points of view and think critically about the various debates in international relations.

“Perspectives" and "Levels of Analysis” figures give students a visual way to track how each perspective interprets events from the individual, domestic, and systemic levels. These figures help students better grasp the flow of ideas from each level of analysis.
“Parallel Timelines” show how the perspectives prioritize different events, from the origins of WWI to the current era.