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Perspectives on International Relations
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Perspectives on International Relations
Power, Institutions, and Ideas

Seventh Edition


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.


A Complete Teaching & Learning Package

LMS Cartridge (formally known as SAGE Coursepacks)
Import this title’s instructor resources into your school’s learning management system (LMS) and save time. Don’t use an LMS? You can still access all of the same online resources for this title via the password-protected Instructor Resource Site.

SAGE course outcomes: Measure Results, Track Success
Outlined in your text and mapped to chapter learning objectives, SAGE course outcomes are crafted with specific course outcomes in mind and vetted by advisors in the field. See how SAGE course outcomes tie in with this book’s chapter-level objectives at edge.sagepub.com/nau7e.



 
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

Instructor Resources
edge.sagepub.com/nau7e


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LMS cartridge included with this title for use in Blackboard, Canvas, Brightspace by Desire2Learn (D2L), and Moodle

The LMS cartridge makes it easy to import this title’s instructor resources into your learning management system (LMS). These resources include:

  • Test banks
  • Editable chapter-specific PowerPoint® slides
  • Sample course syllabi
  • Lecture notes
  • All tables and figures from the textbook 
Don’t use an LMS platform?

You can still access all of the same online resources for this title via the password-protected Instructor Resource Site.
Student Resources

edge.sagepub.com/nau7e

 

The open-access Student Study Site makes it easy for students to maximize their study time, anywhere, anytime. It offers flashcards that strengthen understanding of key terms and concepts, as well as learning objectives that reinforce the most important material.

“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
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.

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