Special Responsibilities Global Problems and American Power

'This outstanding book is the first serious attempt to think through the idea of 'special responsibilities' and the meaning of legitimacy in the context of world politics today. Conceptually innovative and empirically wide ranging, the study with its star-studded cast of leading scholars is bound to become the defining text on the subject for many years to come.' Michael Cox, London School of Economics 'This important study provides a systematic and highly sophisticated analysis of special responsibilities - conceptually, historically, and applied to climate change, nuclear proliferation and global finance. It argues convincingly for the existence of a distinctive politics of responsibility constituted both by material power and social norms. A major contribution to international relations theory and to the analysis of global order.' Andrew Hurrell, University of Oxford "With great power there must also come great responsibility.' That basic idea - popularized by Peter Parker (a.k.a. Spiderman) - has been as ubiquitous in international relations practice as it is poorly understood in scholarship. Until now. Bukovansky and her co-authors illuminate the concept in both normative and positive theoretical terms and illustrate their arguments with superb case studies. An intelligent, important study.' William C. Wohlforth, Dartmouth College 'This fine book, in effect, creates a new area of study. It is the first explicit engagement with the idea that there are special responsibilities in world politics.' Jonathan Joseph, International Affairs