According to editors Bernard I. Finel and Kristin M. Lord, “the puzzle for analysts of international affairs” in relation to transparency is not only how it has weakened states, “but also how it has strengthened them” (p. 2). Transparency, for them, is “a condition in which information about governmental preferences, intentions, and capabilities is made available either to the public or other outsiders” (p. 3). This apparently increasing openness is the outcome of, among other things, emerging communication and information technologies, the widespread adoption of democratic institutions, and the global reach of mass media organizations. Although transparency is “transforming international politics” (p. ix), it has been underassessed and, as such, Finel and Lord aim to examine “the phenomenon” in a “comprehensive way and assess its impact on world security and diplomacy” (p. 6).