| bipolar (power structure) | A power structure dominated by two powers only, as in the case of the United States and the Soviet Union during the cold war.
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| cold war | The lengthy period after World War II when the United States and the USSR were not engaged in actual combat (a "hot war") but were nonetheless locked in a state of deep-seated hostility.
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| containment | A doctrine, developed after World War II, based on the assumptions that the Soviet Union was an aggressor nation and that only a determined United States could block Soviet territorial ambitions.
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| deterrence policy | The idea that nuclear war can be discouraged if each side in a conflict has the capacity to destroy the other with nuclear weapons.
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| economic globalization | The increased interdependence of nations' economies. The change is a result of technological, transportation, and communication advances that have enabled firms to deploy their resources across the globe.
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| free trade | The view that the long-term economic interests of all countries are advanced when tariffs and other trade barriers are kept to a minimum. (See also protectionism.)
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| internationalist | A person who holds the view that the country should involve itself deeply in world affairs. (See also isolationist.)
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| isolationist | A person who holds the view that the country should deliberately avoid a large role in world affairs and, instead, concentrate on domestic concerns. (See also internationalist.)
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| military-industrial complex | The three components (the military establishment, the industries that manufacture weapons, and the members of Congress from states and districts that depend heavily on the arms industry) that mutually benefit from a high level of defense spending.
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| multilateralism | The situation in which nations act together in response to problems and crises.
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| multinational corporations | Business firms with major operations in more than one country.
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| preemptive war doctrine | The idea, espoused by President George W. Bush, that the United States could attack a potentially threatening nation even if the threat had not yet reached a serious and immediate level.
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| protectionism | The view that the immediate interests of domestic producers should have a higher priority (through, for example, protective tariffs) than free trade between nations. (See also free-trade position.)
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| unilateralism | The situation in which one nation takes action against another state or states.
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| unipolar (power structure) | A power structure dominated by a single powerful actor, as in the case of the United States after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
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