International Security: Problems and Solutions

by Patrick M. Morgan

Conflict--be it war between states, ethnic violence, civil war, or terrorist activity--endures, despite immense efforts to end it. How do states cope with conflict, minimize future threats, and reduce the risk of insecurity? Morgan outlines a spectrum of solutions states use to manage violent conflict, ranging from strategies that individual governments enact largely on their own, such as distribution of power, deterrence, or arms control, to those such as collective security and multilateralism that are more global in nature. The book progresses into tactical and practical actions, from negotiation and mediation to peace imposition. Morgan evaluates each strategy and tactic in terms of how well it addresses three levels of security--systemic, state, and societal--to show how they are interrelated and complementary to each other in important ways. Addressing insecurity at one level often elicits further insecurity at another. Morgan shows students how these various levels interact-either to a state's advantage or to its detriment-so they can comprehensively analyze the ways that political actors manage (or incite) conflict.

Useful pedagogical features help students master the material:

Terms and Concepts boxes go beyond simple definitions and provide students with a concept's evolution over time or the controversy surrounding the meaning of a certain term. Cases and Context boxes offer needed background and interesting detail about pivotal cases of conflict, both historical and contemporary in nature. Key terms are bolded throughout and compiled in a glossary. Annotated bibliographic essays at the end of each chapter point students to additional sources for further study.

Genres: Politics, International Relations

331 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2006

Reviews

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this text for a Master's class, American Military University's NSEC 504 (International Security). National Security is a sub-discipline of International Relations (IR), a social science. This was one (1) of two (2) text books, studied in conjunction with "U.S. Foreign Policy: The Paradox of World Power," 3 ed. by Steven Hook.

Dr. Morgan received his doctorate form Yale and is a professor at the University of California, Irvine. As this is a text book, it is of course a dry, academic examination of the capabilities and limitations of American foreign policy in the IR arena. Since war is both a reoccurring phenomenon and a potentially systemic threat in IR, much of the text discusses the problem of war through the lens of American foreign policy. Case studies and historical examples are used throughout, making the text more approachable and bowing how IR theories operate mechanically within the system. Dr. Morgan also spends time explaining how security on one level often inadvertently creates insecurity in another sector. Overall, both nuanced and informative wheel remaining digestible.

Dr. Morgan's text has thirteen (13) chapters, as follows:

1. An Introduction to Security in International Relations
2. The Problem of War in International Politics
3. The Appropriate Distribution of Power
4. Seeking Cheap Victories
5. Deterrence and Arms Control
6. The Great Power Concert
7. Wilsonian Collective security
8. Complex Multilateralism and Integration
9. Negotiations and Mediation
10. Peacekeeping
11. Peace Enforcement and Peace Imposition.
12. Peace-building
13. Conclusion

[Alyssa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Morgan provides a well-organized structure of international security in the post Cold War world, addressing both problems (war, power struggles) and solutions (negotiation, peacekeeping, peacebuilding, etc). A constant theme is seen through the application of the three levels of security (systemic, state, and societal).

Overall, an easy and structured read for those studying international security and relations. Although, I can't claim it was too enjoyable.