American Power and Global Relations
Is Topic of New Book by Wellesley Professor

WELLESLEY, Mass. -- To shed light on the role of American power in shaping global relations, Wellesley College Professor of Political Science Joel Krieger has written a new book, Globalization and State Power: Who Wins When America Rules? (Pearson Longman, December 2004). The book is the second in a series called “Great Questions in Politics.”

Krieger says problems arise around a “clash of civilizations” between the United States and countries like France and Germany, which is epitomized by the split over the war in Iraq. The book comes at a time when healing and cooperation are increasingly sought as an international goal.

Published for general readers as well as for political science students, the book presents contemporary debates about the decline of the nation-state in a world shaped by unrivaled American power–and links these debates to current political developments and conflicts. It provides case studies about the exercise of American power and the challenges that global competitiveness bring to the European Union at a time of increasing strains on its high-cost social programs and models of government. Krieger examines East Asia, the 1997 economic crisis and the paradox of state power. He also develops a new response to 9/11 that meets the terror threats and yet enhances the role of international law and outlines a path to achieve necessary reforms of the United Nations’ Security Council.

“It is hard to imagine that much new could be said about globalization today,” notes David Held, professor of political science at the London School of Economics. “Yet Joel Krieger brings the insights of comparative politics to bear on an analysis of global political, economic and social processes. The result is an authoritative and fresh reexamination of the meaning and impact of globalization on political and, in particular, on state power.”

Krieger credits his own students at Wellesley College with inspiration for the book and its topics. “This book is in many ways a Wellesley book,” Krieger writes in the preface. “It is a testament to the intellectual curiosity and global perspectives of the many Wellesley students who have taken my course ‘Globalization and the Nation-State’ since it was introduced in spring 2000. Little did they know they were serving as a focus group for the arguments in this book, but I am immensely grateful for their assistance and the inspiration they provided.”

Since 1875, Wellesley College has been a leader in providing an excellent liberal arts education for women who will make a difference in the world. Its 500-acre campus near Boston is home to 2,300 undergraduate students from all 50 states and 68 countries. For more information, go to www.wellesley.edu.

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