Suchergebnisse

Two versions of balance of power theory are applied in an attempt to understand recent events in Europe. "Hard balancing" is the more traditional military & economic action taken by one or more states when it appears that the power of another state or group of states is growing to the point that it is seen as a threat to physical security. A better explanation of what is happening in Europe is "soft balancing," in which there is no fear of physical security, but rather a perceived threat of adverse effects that might result from another state's growing economic & political power in the world community. Such is the case between Europe & the US. This paper analyzes the hedging policies adopted & the actions & reactions taken by one or another European country, or the whole of Europe, from the 1990s to 2003 to counter the hegemonic power exercised by the US while still maintaining their traditional solid alliance. J. Stanton