POLITICAL-ECONOMY IN SECURITY STUDIES AFTER THE COLD-WAR

In contemporary International Relations theory, there exists a sharp d istinction between international political economy and security studie s. However, this is largely a false distinction, a product of peculiar circumstances associated with the cold war, and one which is becoming increasingly anachronistic in the post-cold war era. In order to unde rstand international relations in this era, a reintegration of the dis cipline is necessary. This article considers three sets of issue areas in which appeals to themes normally associated with political economy are necessary to understand national security concerns. It explains h ow the cold war temporarily allowed the salience of these issues to re cede, and why they are likely to be of increasing importance in contem porary international politics. It concludes with a brief survey of how these influences are likely to affect the national security of a vari ety of states in the coming years.