The United States and Europe: Policy imperatives in a globalizing world

Book abstract:

This work aims to set in context and to explore aspects of the relationship currently pertaining between the United States and the European powers as both approach the challenges and opportunities of a new millennium.

The book is organised over ten chapters written by a wide range of contributors. Chapter one provides background material to the formation of and the issues underpinning contemporary US foreign policy. The European aspect and the issues arising from the recent enlargement of the EU are explored in chapter two. Developments in NATO since 1991 and its ability to deal with the new challenges facing it in the years ahead are examined in chapter three. The following three chapters concentrate upon security issues. The interface between US and Russia as they address conflicts and dilemmas in dealing with European security issues are covered in chapter four. The UK and British defence policies are explored in chapter five and the section on security issues is closed with a chapter on the domestic and transnational/international sources of European security policy. Economic political and non-traditional problems confronting the US and the European Union are explored in the next three chapters with time given to discuss the institutions that both sides use to facilitate solutions. Chapter seven examines the role of the OSCE (Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe) and evaluates its capacity to respond successfully to the many socio-political challenges presented, especially those from former Soviet bloc countries. Global trade liberalisation and issues of economics are addressed in chapter eight. Drug trafficking and the problems posed by international crime are subjected to close analysis in chapter nine. The final chapter reviews the points raised in the earlier contributions and provides an assessment of their implications for both American and European security issues as we enter the 21st Century.

The work will interest students, scholars, policy makers in international relations and global politics.

Howard M. Hensel is Professor of Politico-Military Affairs, Air War College, United States.