ABSTRACT
Scholars of inter national politics have long been interested in global govern ance. It is easy to think of global problems that overwhelm the capacities of individual states to solve them. Climate change, nuclear proliferation, financial crises, disease and hunger come readily to mind. Many scholars conceive of the inter national system as a system of sovereign states that answer to no higher authority. States differ in their resources and capacities; they may be equally sovereign but are not equally capable of tackling global problems. Beyond trying to understand global govern ance, scholars seek to devise strategies for addressing global problems and imagine possibilities for an alternative future.
