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

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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 languageEnglish
JournalSGIR SGIR 7th Pan-European International Relations Conference
Publication statusPublished - 2010
EventSGIR 7th Pan-European International Relations Conference - Stockholm, Sweden
Duration: 9 Sep 201011 Sep 2010

Conference

ConferenceSGIR 7th Pan-European International Relations Conference
CountrySweden
CityStockholm
Period09/09/201011/09/2010

ID: 33639230