| ID | 165095 |
| Title Proper | It Takes Two to Tango |
| Other Title Information | Autocratic underbalancing, regime legitimacy and China’s responses to India’s rise |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Mastro, Oriana Skylar |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | What factors do autocracies evaluate when responding to perceived threats and why might they fail to balance appropriately? I posit that autocratic leaders may choose greater exposure to an external threat if, by doing so, it preserves regime legitimacy. Specifically, the desire to promote a positive image to one’s domestic public creates incentives to publicly downplay a rival’s military progress, which then affects the state’s ability to mobilize resources to respond to the growing threat. I test this theory in the case of China’s response to India’s military rise. This research contributes to balancing theory and empirical work on East Asian security. |
| `In' analytical Note | Journal of Strategic Studies Vol. 42, No.1; Feb 2019: p.114-152 |
| Journal Source | Journal of Strategic Studies Vol: 42 No 1 |
| Key Words | China ; India ; Regime Legitimacy ; Rising Powers ; Autocratic Regimes ; Balancing Theory |