International cooperation and public goods

About this book

In Contemporary international affairs, security is not a one-dimensional concept. Nations define security across economic, military, political, and even social boundaries. In International Cooperation and Public Goods, Mark Boyer broadens the understanding of security beyond military capability and shows how economic and political power enter into the balance, especially in the case of advanced industrialized nations. In contrast to the theorists who insist that U.S. military efforts are providing the Eastern allies with a "free ride," Boyer reaches dramatically different conclusions regarding the nature of alliance burden sharing, the efficiency of security provision, and the future of allied cooperation as American hegemony declines. Focusing on "trade" in public goods and on the Ricardian theory of comparative advantage, he demonstrates that nations specialize in the production of alliance goods - economic, political, or military - for which they possess advantages over other nations.