Power & Responsibility: Building International Order in an Era of Transnational Threats

Bruce Jones, Carlos Pascual, and Stephen John Stedman
Brookings Institution Press, 2009 

The twenty-first century will be defined by security threats unconstrained by borders—from economic instability, climate change, and nuclear proliferation to conflict, poverty, terrorism and disease. The greatest test of global leadership will be building partnerships and institutions for cooperation that can meet the challenge. Power and Responsibility describes how American leadership can rebuild international order to promote global security and prosperity for today’s transnational world.

Power and Responsibility establishes a new foundation for international security: “responsible sovereignty,” or the notion that sovereignty entails obligations and duties toward other states as well as one’s own citizens. Governments must cooperate across borders to safeguard common resources and tackle common threats.

Power and Responsibility argues that in order to advance its own interests, the United States must learn to govern in an interdependent world, exercise leadership through cooperation, and create new institutions with today’s traditional and emerging powers. The product of a collaborative project on Managing Global Order, the book also reflects the MGO project’s global dialogue—extensive consultations around the world as well as discussions with the MGO Advisory Group, composed of prominent U.S. and international figures in world affairs.

ForeWord Reviews has awarded Power and Responsibility its 2009 Gold Award for best book in the political science field.

The Authors

Bruce Jones is director of the Center on International Cooperation at New York University and formerly served with NGOs and the United Nations in Rwanda, Kosovo, the Middle East, and New York.

Carlos Pascual served as vice president and director of Foreign Policy Studies at the Brookings Institution from 2006 to 2009, when he became U.S. ambassador to Mexico under President Barack Obama. 

Stephen John Stedman is senior fellow at the Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University and a former assistant secretary general and special adviser to the secretary general of the United Nations.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Javier Solana
Foreword by Brent Scowcroft

Part I. Power
1. Sovereignty’s Last Best Chance
2. Interests and Order: The United States and the Major and Rising Powers
3. Power and Institutions: An Effective International Architecture for Responsible Sovereignty

Part II. Responsibility
4. Arresting Climate Change
5. The Second Nuclear Age
6. Security in the Biological Century
7. Managing Civil Violence and Regional Conflict
8. Combating Transnational Terrorism
9. Strengthening the Pillars of Economic Security

Part III. Order
10. The Hardest Case: The Broader Middle East
11. Urgency and Choice

Reviews

“The aim of the Managing Global [Order] project is to launch a reform effort of the global security system in 2009. That task is both ambitious and urgent. . . . The time to act is now.” Javier Solana, EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy

“Power & Responsibility analyzes the threats that sur­round us, but does not yield to the temptation to despair. It rightly points out that in a world of problems without passports, our security and prosperity depend on unprecedented international cooperation, and that such cooperation is in our reach. By accepting that sovereignty incurs responsibilities and by strengthening international institutions, governments can create an international order in which all can be safe and thrive. This book makes a compelling argument for such an approach.” Kofi Annan, Former Secretary General of the United Nations

“The vision, ideas, and solutions the authors put for­ward in this book have the potential to redeem American foreign policy.” From the foreword by Brent Scowcroft, Former U.S. National Security Adviser

“I salute Power & Responsibility for undertaking the challenging endeavor of strengthening and improving our current means of international cooperation. This book sets a platform from which to take forward the vital agenda of restoring American leadership and creating a more effective international system.” Madeleine K. Albright, Former U.S. Secretary of State

“Offers timely, relevant, and responsible advice on America’s future foreign policy. The authors address our need to strengthen our alliances and forge relationships based on common interests.” Chuck Hagel, Former U.S. Senator (R.-Neb.)

“An essential guide to the critical decisions we must make to create a world where all people are secure and can prosper.” William J. Perry, Former U.S. Secretary of Defense

More About Power & Responsibility

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Launch Events

at Brookings »
at Stanford University » 
at Chatham House » 

Brookings Plan for Action Launch »
A Plan for Action report » 

Commentary

"Changing how we address global and national security"
By Bruce Jones, Carlos Pascual and Stephen Stedman, Huffington Post (3/16/2009)

"Barack Obama Joins the Group of 20"
By Scott Malcomson, Huffington Post (3/16/2009)

"U.S. Foreign Policy and Barack Obama"
Carlos Pascual and Brent Scowcroft, Charlie Rose Show (4/23/2009) 

Stanford Report article on the MGO Plan for Action »