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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behavior benefits bipolar Britain British Byzantine Empire century challenge change the international change the system city-state conflict conquest consequence contemporary world costs create decline decrease diminishing returns disequilibrium distribution of power domestic dominant power E. H. Carr economic growth economic surplus efficiency empire equilibrium Europe European existing expansion factor of production factors forces foreign policy fundamental gains global governance groups hegemonic imperial important incentive increase indifference curve individuals industrial interactions interdependence interests international political change international relations international system Marxist military power military techniques modern world monetarization nation-state nuclear weapons objectives oligopolistic one’s Pax Britannica peaceful change political organization Polybius premodern prestige production property rights protection redistribution relative Revolution rise seek to change significant society Soviet Union status quo structure systems change technological tend territorial Thucydides trade types United University Press Waltz wars wealth and power world market economy world politics York