The Paradox of National Insecurity
Brazil as a Middle Power in the International Arms Trade System
Description:... The theoretical focus of this study lies in the linkage between power politics (agency) and market relations at the global level (structure). Power politics is expressed at the strategic level when nations pursue their "national interests," such as autonomy and political independence. The constant jockeying for position in the international system underlines the anarchic character of international relations. The global market constitutes the environment under which these actors must operate. Shifts in market relations help explain changes in conceptions of national security, as state actors respond to new challenges in the international economic system. Nonstate actors play a critical role in defining the state response to market shifts. This study uses the defense industry in both developed and developing countries as an important sector defining a country's "national security" interests, separate from the political requirements of power politics.
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