The Political Economy of NATO: Past, Present and into the 21st Century

Using simple economic methods while accounting for political and institutional factors, this book puts forward a political economy viewpoint of NATO's current status and its future prospects. A host of NATO policy concerns are addressed including the optimal membership for the alliance, its role in peacekeeping missions worldwide, the appropriate methods for deterring terrorism, and proper procurement practices for the next generation of weapons. Additional topics concern defense burden sharing, arms trade, NATO's institutional structure, and NATO's role vis-a-vis other international organizations. Although the analysis is rigorous, the book is intended for a wide audience drawn from political science and economics.

Todd Sandler is Distinguished Professor of Economics and Political Science at Iowa State University. He is a NATO fellow for 1998-2000. He was coeditor of the journal Defence and Peace Economics and is currently a member of its editorial board. Professor Sandler has written or coauthored twelve other books including Global Challenges; Collective Action: Theory and Applications; The Economics of Defense; Handbook of Defense Economics; and International Terrorism in the 1980s (2 vols.). Keith Hartley is Professor of Economics and founding Director of the Center of Defence Economics at the University of York, England. He is managing editor of the journal Defence and Peace Economics and secretary general of the International Defence Economics Association. Professor Hartley was a NATO research fellow in 1977-79 and 1986-87, and special advisor to the House of Commons Defence Committee in 1985-98. He has been a consultant to the UN, the European Commission, the US Department of Defense, and the UK Ministry of Defence. He has written or co-authored eleven books and more than 250 articles.