Agency, Security and Governance of Small States: A Global Perspective

Agency, Security, and Governance of Small States explores the paradox of vulnerability and opportunity related to small-state size, focusing on historical, geographical, security, and governance contexts. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing shifts in security paradigms and how small states deploy their smallness as a resource for agency. The book includes contributions on hard-security issues and soft-security challenges, comparing case studies to reinforce the focus on small-state paradoxes and raise questions about smallness as the defining characteristic of governance.

Format: Hardback
Length: 284 pages
Publication date: 22 September 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Agency, Security, and Governance of Small States delves into a perplexing paradox within Small-State Studies: the simultaneous coexistence and potential interdependence of vulnerability and opportunity tied to small-state size. This comprehensive book explores the complexities of small states within this paradoxical framework. Traditionally, Small-State Studies has centered on three fundamental inquiries: what defines a "small state"? What accounts for the influence of small states in global affairs? And are small states truly vulnerable to security threats in the face of the proliferation of multilateralism and regionalism worldwide? This book argues that new questions must be asked that acknowledge the significant shifts in twenty-first-century security paradigms to gain a deeper understanding of how certain states leverage their smallness as a resource for agency in supranational contexts. By examining a diverse range of historical, geographical, security, and governance contexts, the book adopts a most-different-cases approach. While the historical perspective is often overlooked in Small-State Studies, it plays a crucial role in understanding how small states have frequently transformed perceived insecurity into agency over time. By focusing on different world regions, the authors facilitate a comparative analysis of collective actions and the establishment of institutions for "common sense purposes" within geographical regions.

Of particular relevance in the contemporary context, the book includes contributions that address both hard-security issues and other soft-security challenges. The comparison of case studies reinforces the book's focus on small-state paradoxes and raises the question of whether smallness can be considered a source of strength rather than vulnerability. This thought-provoking exploration of the complex dynamics between small-state size, agency, security, and governance offers valuable insights for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners alike. It sheds light on the challenges and opportunities faced by small states in an increasingly interconnected world and contributes to our understanding of the complex dynamics shaping global affairs.

Weight: 453g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032410487