| ID | 165317 |
| Title Proper | Anarchy and Authority |
| Other Title Information | International Structure, the Balance of Power, and Hierarchy |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Nexon, Daniel H ; Dani K Nedal Daniel H Nexon ; Nedal , Dani K |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | Do international systems tend to remain anarchic because of recurring balances of power, or do they tend toward imbalances and hierarchy? Leading structural theories posit competing predictions about systemic outcomes, and the historical record offers evidence to support both claims. This suggests the need to theorize conditions under which one tendency or another is likely to dominate and what factors lead systems to transition from one state to another. We draw on constructivist and English School insights about international authority and legitimacy to develop such a framework. We conceive of patterns of international authority as structures independent from, and interacting with, mechanisms usually associated with international anarchy, such as the balance of power. We propose that international authority systems vary along two dimensions: particularist cosmopolitan and substitutable nonsubstitutable. Both are emergent properties of ideas and institutions located at the unit level. We argue that certain authority systems—particularist and nonsubstitutable—reinforce, and are reinforced by, anarchy and balanced distributions of capabilities. Others—cosmopolitan substitutable—facilitate rollup and domination and are likely to emerge or be maintained in hierarchic and highly asymmetric systems. By offering a structural account of international authority, we hope to contribute to the global turn in international relations, offering a framework for comparing systems across time and space. We also aim to help make sense of contemporary struggles over norms and values, their structural causes and consequences, and their potential implications for the future of global power politics. |
| `In' analytical Note | Journal of Global security Studies Vol. 4, No.2; Apr 2019: p.169–189 |
| Journal Source | Journal of Global security Studies Vol: 4 No 2 |
| Key Words | Balance of power ; Realism ; Hegemony ; Constructivism ; English School ; International Hierarchy |