Includes bibliographical references.

I. Theories and Traditions -- II. The Structure of the International System -- III. The Actors in International Politics -- IV. Anarchy and Society in the International System -- V. Deterrence, Crisis, and War -- VI. The Cold War International System -- VII. International Relations After the Cold War.

The text examines how analysts and scholars explain relations among states, how modern states are asserting their sovereignty and striving for democracy and market economies, how economic inequality in less developed countries remains after the vestiges of imperialism, and how power is currently distributed in the international arena. Readings were carefully selected by virtue of their seminal importance to the field, their representation of divergent schools of thought, their student accessibility, and their relevance to contemporary events.