Why is it so difficult to achieve peace and cooperation in world politics? How do countries get what they want? Do rules and norms matter in the international arena? IR: Seeking Security, Prosperity, and Quality of Life in a Changing World invites students to participate in these debates by providing a clear introduction to not just what happens, but why and how it happens. Assuming no prior knowledge about international relations, award-winning teachers and scholars James M. Scott, Ralph G. Carter, and A. Cooper Drury meet students where they are and provides them with a framework to make sense of the complicated events and interactions of world politics. Thoroughly updated, the Fourth Edition provides insights into the changing nature of power in the global system and the greatest challenges to international order, including the populist backlash against globalization, Russian assertiveness and China’s growing influence, cyberwarfare, COVID-19, and climate change.