Offers a collection of essays and excerpts that provide different perspectives on various aspects of world politics and international relations.

Liberty is what libertarians advocate. Both because of the inherent value of human liberty and because of the increasing wealth and welfare it brings to all. They see the aggressive coercion of the state as the main enemy of liberty .The solution is to roll back the state until there is little or no state left. Libertarianism has been rapidly growing since the 1970s. But it is still not commonly understood or even given a proper hearing. However, you will increasingly come across it. Often it will be state enthusiasts disingenuously claiming to be ‘libertarians’. At other times it will be state enthusiasts attacking libertarianism as an ‘extremist’ ideology. And very occasionally it will be real libertarians explaining and defending their views.

• Should abortion and euthanasia be legal?• Should whistleblowers be protected or punished?• How should the world's resources be apportioned?• How far should the state be allowed to invade personal privacy in order to protect against possible terrorist attacks?• Should offensive speech be regulated?Fully revised and extended, the new edition of this innovative and engaging text introduces the central elements of political theory from an applied perspective. Focusing on twelve high profile contemporary social and political issues, both domestic and global, this book shows how political theory illuminates and helps makes sense of important debates in public life.Now drawing on an even wider range of contemporary and historical political thinkers from different philosophical traditions and updated to take recent important cases and controversies into account, including a new chapter which examines the leaking of classified documents, this is the perfect introduction for students interested in how political theory can be used to help us solve the political questions of our time.