International politics, like all politics, is a struggle for power. Whatever the ultimate aims of international politics, power is always the immediate aim. Statesmen and peoples may ultimately seek freedom, security, prosperity, or power it. They may define their goals in terms of a religious, philosophic, economic or social ideal. International relations is an area of study dealing with the interrelationships among nation-states in an age in which nation-states are the principal holder of political power. The study concernsitself with the outcomes of war and peace; consequently, it has practical importance. However, the change in practice has generated considerable confusion as to who are involved as the principal actors; since there are different kinds of state and non-states actors. National power is contextual in that it can be evaluated only in terms of all the power elements and only in relation to another player or players and the situation in which power is being exercised. A nation may appear powerful because it possesses many military assets, but the assets may be inadequate against those of a potential enemy or inappropriate to the nature of the conflict. The International Politics major focuses on how power operates within and between states in the international arena. The program combines political science, economics, geography and history to examine topics such as human rights, ethnic conflict, terrorism, economic and political development and globalization, the environment, foreign and economic policy making, and national security. This book is an attempt at providing authoritative and upto-date essays on the subject.