WORLD POLITICS: TREND AND TRANSFORMATION offers analysis of the most up-to-date data, research, and contemporary events from today's international political stage. The book will help you understand what is happening today and why. This 2013-2014 UPDATE EDITION incorporates recent changes in leadership, the latest on the economic crisis, social media, and military technology, and new data from World Development Indicators and more. Our new partnership with the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs provides more coverage of contemporary issues and resources to explore those issues than ever before. Co-author Shannon L. Blanton incorporates key concepts into the text from major theoretical perspectives to look at both historical and contemporary developments. This edition addresses topics such as war, terrorism, human rights, the environment, and international development while emphasizing an institutional approach to resolving international conflict. The authors present each issue in a thought-provoking way that encourages you to critically assess the problems, payoffs, pitfalls, and paradoxes of people's choices about the global future and the probable impact those choices will have on your life in the future.