War and Change in World PoliticsWar and Change in World Politics introduces the reader to an important new theory of international political change. Arguing that the fundamental nature of international relations has not changed over the millennia, Professor Gilpin uses history, sociology, and economic theory to identify the forces causing change in the world order. The discussion focuses on the differential growth of power in the international system and the result of this unevenness. A shift in the balance of power - economic or military - weakens the foundations of the existing system, because those gaining power see the increasing benefits and the decreasing cost of changing the system. The result, maintains Gilpin, is that actors seek to alter the system through territorial, political, or economic expansion until the marginal costs of continuing change are greater than the marginal benefits. When states develop the power to change the system according to their interests they will strive to do so- either by increasing economic efficiency and maximizing mutual gain, or by redistributing wealth and power in their own favour. |
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... of diverting attention away from moregeneral theoretical problems.4 A thirdreasonfor neglectof thestudy of politicalchange isthe Westernbiasin the study ofinternationalrelations. Fora profession whose intellectual commitment isthe ...
... of diverting attention away from moregeneral theoretical problems.4 A thirdreasonfor neglectof thestudy of politicalchange isthe Westernbiasin the study ofinternationalrelations. Fora profession whose intellectual commitment isthe ...
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... of states. Thus, many believe that the opportunity for peaceful economic intercourse and the constraints imposed by modern destructive warfare have served to decrease the probability of a major war. In thepresent study wetake a very ...
... of states. Thus, many believe that the opportunity for peaceful economic intercourse and the constraints imposed by modern destructive warfare have served to decrease the probability of a major war. In thepresent study wetake a very ...
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... of states: 1 An international system is stable (i.e., in a state of equilibrium) if no state believes it profitable toattempttochangethe system. 2 A state will attempt to changetheinternational system if the expected benefits exceed the ...
... of states: 1 An international system is stable (i.e., in a state of equilibrium) if no state believes it profitable toattempttochangethe system. 2 A state will attempt to changetheinternational system if the expected benefits exceed the ...
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... ofstates. This definition obviously leaves out important and intangible elements thataffect theoutcomes of politicalactions, such as public morale,qualities of leadership, and situational factors.It alsoexcludes whatE. H. Carr called ...
... ofstates. This definition obviously leaves out important and intangible elements thataffect theoutcomes of politicalactions, such as public morale,qualities of leadership, and situational factors.It alsoexcludes whatE. H. Carr called ...
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... ofstates. Thelatter counter that, however truethis may have beeninthe past, attaining domestic economicstability and ensuring the welfare of the populace have becomethe foremost objectivesof states in the contemporary world. We ...
... ofstates. Thelatter counter that, however truethis may have beeninthe past, attaining domestic economicstability and ensuring the welfare of the populace have becomethe foremost objectivesof states in the contemporary world. We ...
Common terms and phrases
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