War and Change in World Politics

Author: Robert Gilpin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: The stability and change in international politics is the core issue that Professor Robert Gilpin explores in this book. To this end, he attempts to construct a new conceptual framework to examine the relationship between the stability of the international system and the uneven growth of power among various actors. He also employs theories from history, sociology, and economics to analyze the dynamics and origins of changes in the world order. Over the more than two decades since the book's initial publication, Gilpin's perspectives have faced dual challenges from rapid changes in the international situation and theoretical developments. However, his contributions to the study of international politics far exceed the predictions about the decline of American hegemony. His role is "not to provide precise scientific explanations of political change, but to serve as an analytical tool for organizing and interpreting human experience." Therefore, this book is one of the most influential works in the field of international political economy.