World Politics into the 21st Century combines contemporary and historical coverage of the central issues in world politics with tools that encourage students' understanding, independent thinking, and active evaluation of real-world problems. The two traditional foundational issues in world politics—military conflict and the quest for security; the politics of international economics—receive equal, exhaustive coverage while laying the groundwork for a systematic discussion of emerging issues involving human rights and the environment. The authors emphasize what is distinctive about each of these four major issue areas while using a focus on the politics of strategic choice and the linkages between domestic and international politics to identify enduring political patterns. The authors stress the value of finding a common ground for introducing students to world politics that respects different worldviews and perspectives.