POLI 244 Lecture Notes - Lecture 19: Superpower, Hegemony, Soft Power
8 May 2017
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Document Summary
Would imply increasing spending from other nations on military nothing to suggest us spending is 40% of world military spending. Not circumstantial in the us; it had to do with the defense budget. China has increased military spending since 2000 by 325% Exponential investment increase, but a low portion of gnp showing no strain on the economy. As american power increased and increased, it reached a level where the likelihood of counterbalancing began to fall after peaking. Balancing becomes prohibitory costly for other states hegemon becomes a hyperpower. Nobody wants to pay the price of balancing. Free riding and defection start to happen when a hegemon is too powerful to balance. Defeats reasoning for balancing because it fails to challenge a hegemon, bringing it in. Has changed over time because imperatives are more global. Depends in part on where the powers are located. Nuclear weapons may also have prevented other nations from balancing.
