When Do States Balance Power?: Refining, not Refuting, Structural Realist Balance of Power Theory

Jacob Gerner Hariri; Anders Wivel

When Do States Balance Power? Refining, not Refuting, Structural Realist Balance of Power Theory

Centre for European Politics

Abstract

This paper explores the logic of balancing in structural realist theory. Arguably, the durability of the unipolar moment is a challenge to the logic of balancing. The paper uses the tools of microeconomics to build a mathematical model of structural realism. The simple model reiterates the structural realist prediction that the weaker states should balance the unipole. Under a slight model extension, it is shown that efforts to balance in separate capabilities always tends to offset each other. Under this extension, the durability of the unipolar moment is in fact consistent with the predictions of structural realist theory.

Original language	English
Journal	SGIR SGIR 7th Pan-European International Relations Conference
Publication status	Published - 2010
Event	SGIR 7th Pan-European International Relations Conference - Stockholm, Sweden Duration: 9 Sept 2010 → 11 Sept 2010

Conference

Conference	SGIR 7th Pan-European International Relations Conference
Country/Territory	Sweden
City	Stockholm
Period	09/09/2010 → 11/09/2010

Cite this

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title = "When Do States Balance Power?: Refining, not Refuting, Structural Realist Balance of Power Theory",

abstract = "This paper explores the logic of balancing in structural realist theory. Arguably, the durability of the unipolar moment is a challenge to the logic of balancing. The paper uses the tools of microeconomics to build a mathematical model of structural realism. The simple model reiterates the structural realist prediction that the weaker states should balance the unipole. Under a slight model extension, it is shown that efforts to balance in separate capabilities always tends to offset each other. Under this extension, the durability of the unipolar moment is in fact consistent with the predictions of structural realist theory.",

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N2 - This paper explores the logic of balancing in structural realist theory. Arguably, the durability of the unipolar moment is a challenge to the logic of balancing. The paper uses the tools of microeconomics to build a mathematical model of structural realism. The simple model reiterates the structural realist prediction that the weaker states should balance the unipole. Under a slight model extension, it is shown that efforts to balance in separate capabilities always tends to offset each other. Under this extension, the durability of the unipolar moment is in fact consistent with the predictions of structural realist theory.

AB - This paper explores the logic of balancing in structural realist theory. Arguably, the durability of the unipolar moment is a challenge to the logic of balancing. The paper uses the tools of microeconomics to build a mathematical model of structural realism. The simple model reiterates the structural realist prediction that the weaker states should balance the unipole. Under a slight model extension, it is shown that efforts to balance in separate capabilities always tends to offset each other. Under this extension, the durability of the unipolar moment is in fact consistent with the predictions of structural realist theory.

M3 - Conference article

JO - SGIR SGIR 7th Pan-European International Relations Conference

JF - SGIR SGIR 7th Pan-European International Relations Conference

Y2 - 9 September 2010 through 11 September 2010

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