As the second decade of the century begins to unfold, the global security environment is unlike any that nations have faced before. Instead of traditional state-based aggression, nations must contend with threats originating from a growing spectrum of non-state actors while contending with a level of economic austerity not felt for more than fifty years. In light of these factors, how do nations ensure the security of their people, territories, and interests? How do they define security and how have those definitions changed? Using the United States of America and the United Kingdom as comparative cases, this paper examines how the nations' definitions of 'security' have evolved in the post-Cold War era. While developed independently in accordance with each nation's respective experiences and interests, both the US and the UK's definitions of security have expanded over time, indicating a broadening securitization of national politics.Master of Art
