Publication Date
11-2-2025
Description
This paper introduces the concept of the security trilemma. It identifies three interdependent yet seemingly contradictory objectives of the modern state, that is, social security through welfare and redistribution, trade security via integration into global markets, and national security through defense capacity and alliances. While each reinforces the others under favorable conditions, states face structural limits that prevent the simultaneous maximization of all three. Historical and contemporary debates illustrate how trade-offs shift across contexts. The analysis highlights how welfare states enabled globalization, how trade interdependence can substitute or conflict with defense, and how military production’s global integration deepens reliance on alliances. By situating the trilemma within the international political economy, the paper provides a research framework for understanding the strategic constraints shaping particular state choices in a globalized era.
Type
Working Paper(unpublished)
Language
en