Chapter 2: Building Trust between Suspicious Minds

The modern international system is constructed on the principle of the sovereign nation-state whose citizens have taken their destiny into their own hands. But the actions of nation-states clearly have consequences that go beyond national boundaries. Their economic success or failure impacts conditions elsewhere; they may set positive or negative policy examples; and they may deliberately seek to impose costs on other countries. Coordination between nation-states can clearly create a public good. But to what extent is that element of coordination compatible with the philosophy of the nation-state, and the choices made by citizens in the national context?