Since September 11 2001, the global ability to manage international problems and conflicts has faced major challenges. This capacity rests on the power and influence of key players in the international system; obviously, the United States plays a pivotal role, but while most analyses of international relations have designated Russia and China the next most influential actors, the major economic powers of Germany and Japan also have important roles to play. These two countries together represent two-thirds of the size of the US economy and with America account for more than half of global gross product. This engaging analysis focuses on the foreign policies of these two countries, their attitudes and policies towards the United States, the international institutions of Pax Americana, regional and international co-operation and conflict, and towards compliance and sanctions against non-compliance. Intellectually innovative, this comparative work is ideally suited to courses on global governance, comparative politics and foreign policy.

Table of Contents:
Introduction: German and Japanese foreign policies and global governance, Hanns W. Maull, Saori N. Katada and Takashi Inoguchi. Part I: Foreign Policy Identity: Between revisionism and normalcy: Germany's foreign policy identity in the 20th century, Reinhard Wolf; The evolving dynamics of Japan's national identity and foreign policy role, Takashi Inoguchi. Part II: Politics of Alliance: Germany's security policy between Europeanism, transatlanticism and a global role, Dirk Nabers; Why Japan is allied? Politics of the US - Japan alliance, Jitsuo Tsuchiyama. Part III: Still Civilian Power?: Germany and the use of force: still a civilian power?, Hanns W. Maull; Asserting civilian power or risking irrelevance? Japan's post-Cold War policy concerning the use of force, Chiyuki Aoi. Part IV: Economic Integration: Ambivalent answers to globalization: German economic policy, Stefan A. Schirm; Japan's policy change in multi-layered international economic relations, Yoshiko Kojo. Part V: Foreign Aid Policies: Basic outlines of German development policy, Dirk Messner and Franz Nuscheler; New courses in Japanese foreign aid policy: more humanitarian and more nationalistic, Saori N. Katada. Part VI: Multilateralism and the United Nations: A commitment to global multilateralism: Germany's policy toward the United Nations, Manfred Knapp; Japan's multilateral politics, Edward Newman. Conclusion: Germany and Japan in global governance: a comparative perspective, Hanns W. Maull, Saori N. Katada and Takashi Inoguchi; Index.