Through different theoretical references and concrete studies, Goertz illustrates the fruitfulness of the contextual approach to international politics.

1. Introduction; 2. Modes of context; 3. Context as changing meaning; 4. Contextual indicators; 5. Rational actor and diffusion models; 6. Barrier models of context; 7. Oil nationalization, 1918-80; 8. Eastern Europe, 1945-89; 9. Historical contexts; 10. Enduring rivalries; 11. The context of international norms; 12. The norm of decolonization; 13. Postface: interacting contexts and explaining contexts.