Comparisons in Global Security Politics

Comparison is a central feature of the practice of interstate relations, yet it is rarely studied. This book demonstrates the significance of comparison in world politics and reveals how comparative knowledge is produced, how it becomes politically relevant and how its practices shape security politics. Available open access digitally under CC-BY-NC-ND licence. Comparative practices are integral to global security politics. The balance of power politics, status competitions and global security governance would not be possible without them. Yet, they are rarely treated as the main object of study. Exploring the varied uses of comparisons, this book addresses three key questions: • How is comparative knowledge produced? • How does it become politically relevant? • How do comparative practices shape security politics? This book takes a bold new step in uniting disparate streams of research to show how comparative practices order governance processes and modulate competitive dynamics in world politics.