ABSTRACT

Although it has become common to say that we are in the midst of an "information revolution" at the beginning of the twenty-first century, the effects on states and governments are less commonly understood. Some argue that the information revolution is bringing an end to the hierarchical bureaucratic organizations that typified the first two industrial revolutions. Cyberspace will not replace geographical space and will not abolish state sovereignty, but it will greatly complicate what it means to be a sovereign state or a powerful country. At first glance, the disparity between American power and that of the rest of the world looks overwhelming. The information revolution, technological change and globalization will not replace the nation-state, but will continue to add complications in terms of the actors and issues in world politics. The paradox of American power in the twenty-first century is the largest power, since Rome cannot achieve its objectives unilaterally in a global information age.