Cyberpolitics in International Relations - 9780262017633

Cyberspace is widely acknowledged as a fundamental fact of daily life in today'sworld. Until recently, its political impact was thought to be a matter of low politics--backgroundconditions and routine processes and decisions. Now, however, experts have begun to recognize itseffect on high politics--national security, core institutions, and critical decision processes. Inthis book, Nazli Choucri investigates the implications of this new cyberpolitical reality forinternational relations theory, policy, and practice. The ubiquity, fluidity, and anonymity ofcyberspace have already challenged such concepts as leverage and influence, national security anddiplomacy, and borders and boundaries in the traditionally state-centric arena of internationalrelations. Choucri grapples with fundamental questions of how we can take explicit account ofcyberspace in the analysis of world politics and how we can integrate the traditional internationalsystem with its cyber venues.

After establishing the theoretical and empiricalterrain, Choucri examines modes of cyber conflict and cyber cooperation in international relations;the potential for the gradual convergence of cyberspace and sustainability, in both substantive andpolicy terms; and the emergent synergy of cyberspace and international efforts toward sustainabledevelopment. Choucri's discussion is theoretically driven and empirically grounded, drawing onrecent data and analyzing the dynamics of cyberpolitics at individual, state, international, andglobal levels.