Dramatic changes in international relations-notably the collapse of the Communist bloc and the increasing pace of European integration-are having profound consequences for the conduct of British external relations. With a rapid transformation of international politics, the 1990s will be a time of great change for British foreign policy.
In this important book, Michael Clarke draws together a wealth of evidence and original research to provide a systematic analysis of the factors shaping British foreign and defense policy and of the policymaking process in the 1990s. Starting with an analysis of the emerging twenty-first century world order, he examines the major legal, economic, cultural, and demographic changes within contemporary Britain and the implications for state sovereignty of growing international interdependence. He assesses in detail the changing pressures and influences on the main actors in the policy process, the evolution of public opinion, and the role of the media in shaping policy.
Compared to what has happened in the past, the changes in international order in the future will be even more dramatic and far-reaching than the recent events in Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union, and the Persian Gulf. Clarke examines how the world has moved away from the “Superpower Era” by looking at South and East Asia, the Middle East, and Southern Africa where political diversity changes international relations.
Wider in scope than any other book on British foreign policy, this book is essential reading for anyone interested in British external relations.
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