A particular version of conservatism that holds that security is best attained by using state power to spread freedom and democracy, if necessary by force and without international cooperation; a view strengthened in the USA after 9/11. Elden (2007), Int. Politics 44, 1 writes that the war on Iraq violated territorial sovereignty, even though neo-conservatives see territorial sovereignty as an absolute. As a result, in the USA, funding programmes addressing ‘natural’ hazards have been cut to fund counter-terrorist strategies (Graham (2006) Int. J. Urb. & Reg. Research 30, 2); government spending on public services has decreased (McGary (2004) Philosophy & Geog. 7, 1); and public–private sector partnerships replace traditionally public-sector activities (O’Neill et al. (2002) Health Prom. Int. 15, 2). See also Yamazaki (2002) Geopolitics 7, 1 on neo-conservatism in Japan; Peunova (no date) Grad. Stud. Rev. 2, 2 on a Russian retro-empire; and Mahs (2001) Urb. Geog. 22 on neo-conservatism and urban homelessness.