Issues of Interdependence

Any discussion of interdependence must first seek to establish what is meant by that term. A number of different definitions of interdependence exist which use the term as an analytical tool for examining recent and significant changes in the structures of international relations1 and which identify it variously as a phenomenon, a state and a concept.2 In practice, the word is often used interchangeably, so that it is not always clear what is being referred to. However, as Garnett points out, although there is no general agreement on what precisely interdependence is: its flavour is unmistakable. At its simplest, interdependence refers to that fact that modern states have become increasingly interlinked, their destinies intertwined in ever more complicated ways.3