POLI 244 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Bandwagoning, Hard Power, Appeasement
2 Apr 2018
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Document Summary
Balance of power theory: a situation in which power is distributed equally (describes) Balancing: foreign policy aimed at preventing a rising power from becoming hegemonic. Internal: building up military capabilities by either increasing number of military units, or producing technological advantages over rivals. The different forms of balancing: hard balancing military buildups and alliances. Becoming rare why: too costly (and dangerous) under unipolarity, high opportunity costs (econ interdependence, common threats, etc, soft balancing limited, attritional balancing. May refer to hard power or soft power resources. Institutional balancing using and pooling institutional resources. Asymmetric balancing war of attrition by (weak) non-state actors against (powerful) states. Balancing vs. band wagoning: bandwagoning allying with the dominant side. Appeasement (defense) or ambition (offense: a world of balancers. Demonstrating self-restraint is best: a world of bandwagoners. Instances of both types of actions, but two worlds that look very differently. World of balancers provoke resistance from others, doesn"t pay to behave like a bully.
