GOV 312L Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Power Transition Theory, Cold War, Putting-Out System
Document Summary
Module 18: great power politics ii: hegemony, power transition theory, and us-china. Polarity - characterizes the distribution of capabilities among great powers in the international system by counting the number of independent great powers that exist at any one point in time. Condition of deterrence likely to foster peace between the unipole and middle powers. More stable than bipolar system, so far out that no one has the interest of challenging them. Competition is set by their own domestic capacity to sustain any contest (e. g. cold war era soviet union and united states) Says its peaceful because the top two powers are so far ahead of the middle powers that they don"t have to worry about losing an ally. Soviet union withdrew from the competition because its domestic system can no longer sustain the competition. More significant alliance configurations among great powers. Easily destabilized by movement of great power or neutrality. Higher risk of a great power war.
