Project muse world politicsvolume 61, number 1, january. Unipolarity a structural perspective by robert jervis in t r o d u c t i o n to say that the world is now unipolar is neither to praise american power, let alone its leadership, nor to accuse the united states of having established a worldwide empire. Here is a thoughtprovoking volume that seeks to redress that lacuna by bringing together key scholars to reflect rigorously on the polarity issue. John ikenberry, michael mastanduno, william curti wohlforth published in 2011 in cambridge new york by. Theory of unipolar politics department of political science. Most structural theories have ignored unipolarity and its consequences for international order. Unipolarity, state behavior, and systemic consequences. For more varied perspectives on realism and unipolarity, see ethan b. In this article, i provide a theory of unipolarity that focuses on the issue of. The stability of a unipolar world the belfer center for science and. Fukuyama, the end of history and the last man new york. Kenneth waltzs theory of international politicsis the standard text for.
A quarter century later, however, we still possess no theory of unipolarity. States are tempted to free ride, pass the buck, or bandwagon in search of favors from the. Collectively, we find that unipolarity does have a profound impact on international politics. Theory of unipolar politics is a signal contribution to the scholarship on the nature and functioning of todays international system. By analyzing americas structural advantages in trade, money, and security, and the ways in which these advantages reinforce one another, norrlof shows how and why america benefits from being the. Since the collapse of the soviet union, the united states enjoys unparalleled military power. It is to state a fact, but one whose meaning is far from clear, as we have neither a powerful theory. International relations theory and the consequences of. The unipolar illusion i 11 and great power emergence has important implications for unipolarity. Why unipolarity is not peaceful mit press journals. I propose that we study unipolarity from the perspective of hierarchyanarchy and interstate authority, and posit that regardless of what. Unipolarity a structural perspective by robert jervis introduction say that the world is now unipolar is neither to praise american power, let alone its leadership, nor to accuse the united states of.
Waltz, structural realism after the cold war, in america unrivaled. Uni polarity is likely to be shortlived because new great powers will emerge as the uneven growth process narrows the gap between the hegemon and the eligible states that are positioned to emerge as its competitors. Pax americana in 21st century, sv7078, autumn semester 2017. The structuralfunctional approach is a perspective in sociology that sees society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability.
No other state or plausible coalition can challenge the unipoles core security, but this does not mean that all its values are safe or that it can get everything that it wants. Relations theory and the case against unilateralism, perspectives on poli. Unipolarity in politics and economics springerlink. In analyzing the current unipolar system, it is useful to begin with structure. For neorealists, unipolarity is the least stable of all structures. A structural perspective in analyzing the current unipolar system, it is useful to begin with structure. The individual contributions develop hypotheses and explore the impact of unipolarity on the behavior of the dominant state, on the reactions of other states, and on the properties of the international sys tem. Conceptually bold and smoothly and carefully written, it takes on central questions of the day with arguments and evidence that even skeptics have to confront. States highest priorities a worldwide military treaties system, having the are to provide for their territorial and constitu most major powers among their allies. Introdution in efforts to understand the nature of the international. They systematically assess the unipolar system and its manifold consequences.
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