In the opening years of the twenty-first century, international relations are complex and confusing. No new international system has emerged to replace the tense order imposed by the defunct East-West conflict, and competing political, economic, military, social and technological forces render the future of international relations uncertain. In many peoples? eyes, whatever degree of certainty and stability exists in international relations in the early twenty-first century results from economic forces. Economic interdependence influences many international political actors to recognize that they have shared interests. The volume of world trade continues to increase as many areas of the world develop free trade areas and move toward regional integration. And some people believe that a global economic system is imminent, fueled by the new technologies of the Information Age and the breakdown of international barriers to the movement of people, goods, capital, and ideas.