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Power Balance In The United States: A Comparative Analysis

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For a good amount of history, the United States has established itself as a great power time and time again. First through a balance of power, then after the Cold War the US was the only great power standing creating a unipolar system. However the hegemon is starting to lose control and stability as states like China, attempt to compete with the US, and other states, in the Middle East, Russia, and Europe, continue to go down the road of instability. Depending on which school of thought, there are different ways in with the international system can achieve stability or cause disorder. Realists believe the world revolves around the constant struggle for power between states. More specifically, structural realism believes that balancing power …show more content…

States can either internally balancing by building up their military or externally by creating alliances with other states that are aimed toward their rivals. According to the balance of threat theory, states generally balance against threats, although the weaker states are more likely to bandwagon with the rising threat. (Kissinger)
Other realist argue that instead of balancing power between great powers, the concentration of power in the hands of one hegemonic power would be more stable. Hegemonic realism also believes in building imperial political orders on a hierarchy and not a balance of power. One way the strongest state, the hegemon, can provide more stability by providing vital resources to the international community that weaker states are not willing or able to provide. After the Cold War, the US was the only great power that survived and became a unipolar actor internationally. The unipolarity gave the US a unique advantage of stability initially because states were no longer willing to counter balance the great power. After a certain level of concentration of power, it became too costly and no state wanted to be the one to initiate the balancing. The norms during this time were also in favor of US and solidified their position as a great power. …show more content…

Economic interdependence, or globalization, can produce agreements on certain norms and will lead to more peaceful outcomes. Global markets as well as international institutions compel states to cooperate. By participating in institutions, states are given the opportunity to facilitate rules and norms and bring adversaries together without the use of force. Liberals also believe that powerful states should act with restraint when using their power and find ways to show their commitments to other states.

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