This book investigates whether rising global inequality undermines the efficacy of international governance and state capacity in the late twentieth century. Ngaire Woods, a scholar of international relations and global governance, utilizes a comparative analysis of political and economic structures to argue that systemic disparities hinder the collective ability of nations to address pressing global challenges. The work provides a framework for understanding how economic stratification complicates the implementation of international policy and the maintenance of global stability.

Experts recognize this text as a foundational contribution to the study of global political economy and institutional governance. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the systematic approach the author takes in linking inequality to the failure of international policy frameworks.