The (de)Limitations of Balance of Power Theory

Paul, Fritz; Sweeney, Kevin

doi:10.1080/03050620490883976

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 43 publications

(34 reference statements)

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“…As for balance-of-power theory, Fritz & Sweeney (2004) note that the formation of balancing alliances is more likely to involve journal of PEACE RESEARCH volume 43 / number 4 / july 2006 great powers facing significant threats than great powers in a relatively threat-free environment. Testing a modified trade-off model of alliance formation, Gibler & Rider (2004) find that alliance formation is influenced more by foreign policy interest similarity than by capability concentration.…”

Section: Alliance Formation: Capability Balances Versus Security Threats and Beyondmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alliances, Armed Conflict, and Cooperation: Theoretical Approaches and Empirical Evidence

Sprecher

Krause

2006

Journal of Peace Research

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Alliances are subject to many scholarly inquiries in international relations and peace research because they are major instruments of foreign and security policies. Since the early work on alliances produced by the Correlates of War (COW) project, there have been significant advances in conceptual, theoretical, and empirical alliance research. New typologies and data permit us to differentiate more thoroughly among a variety of alliance objectives and functions. Furthermore, there has been new theoretical and empirical research on alliance formation, alliance configuration/polarization, effects of alliances on military conflict, connections between alliances and trade, and the economics of alliances. Providing new theoretical approaches, data, and empirical evidence on alliances, this special issue includes articles that address alliance formation, alliance polarization, alliances and democratization, trade among allies, regional economic institutions with alliance obligations, and defense industrial policies of military alliances. The articles in this issue extend our understanding of alliances past the traditional realist balance-of-power framework and encourage further testing and refinement of older alliance arguments and extensions to new theoretical developments.

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Section: Alliance Formation: Capability Balances Versus Security Threats and Beyondmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alliances, Armed Conflict, and Cooperation: Theoretical Approaches and Empirical Evidence

Sprecher

Krause

2006

Journal of Peace Research

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“…Threat, potentially defined by a number of forces, can vary independent of power." 32 Without power it is difficult to be a threat, but with power one is not necessarily a threat. It all depends on the context, on the actual states involved.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sino-Indian Security Predicaments for the Twenty-First Century

Scott

2008

Asian Security

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This article considers various security predicaments affecting relations between India and China. These Sino-Indian security predicaments include their territorial dispute, their nuclear arms race, their encirclement and alignment scenarios, their trade and energy issues, and their future prospects. International relations (IR) theory is deployed around these varied security predicaments, with power and perception particularly evident in IR realism, geopolitics, constructivism, and security dilemma dynamics. Balance-of-power theory is complemented by balance-of-threat considerations. India's hedging strategy towards China and China's own strategy of transition point to each country looking to their own respective rise for the mid century.

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Strategy of Small States Toward Regional Powers: A Case of Bangladesh

Karim

2023

Jadavpur Journal of International Relations

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The objective of this article is to examine the foreign policy tactics of minor states in relation to regional powers. In this research, Bangladesh has been taken as a case study to show how effectively it is engaged with two regional powers simultaneously, India and China, while still being capable of retaining political independence to pursue its national interests. Bangladesh’s foreign policy behavior establishes that, due to its relatively weak economic and military nature, this small country can have an influence on its alliance formation. Considering its size and economy, realist theory proposes that a small country like Bangladesh will bandwagon with great power. This article examines the stance of Bangladesh in its approach toward China and India. Rather than aligning itself with either country, Bangladesh adopts a hedging strategy. This involves diversifying its trade, investment, security, and diplomatic relations with both nations in a rational manner. The objective is to reduce its reliance on a single country, particularly India. In fact, due to economic starvation, Bangladesh seeks appropriate working relationships with China and India, the two rising powers having a great influence in the South Asian region.

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The (de)Limitations of Balance of Power Theory

Cited by 3 publications

References 43 publications

Alliances, Armed Conflict, and Cooperation: Theoretical Approaches and Empirical Evidence

Alliances, Armed Conflict, and Cooperation: Theoretical Approaches and Empirical Evidence

Sino-Indian Security Predicaments for the Twenty-First Century

Strategy of Small States Toward Regional Powers: A Case of Bangladesh

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