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The Importance Of Balance Of Power In International Relations

993 Words4 Pages

Abstract
Balance of power has become a very crucial topic to the study of International Relations since the 18th century which was described as the golden age of balance of power by Morgenthau (Morgenthau, 1978, p. 196). The concept of balance of power belongs to the realist tradition of thinking which maintains that in the international system, nations are unequal in terms of power and wealth and as such, a kind of imbalance always exists which can be balanced so as to prevent any hegemonic domination of one nation over the others. Over the years the concept has broadened to embrace various perspectives and policies which are applied to achieve and maintain a balance among nations. This paper looks into the importance of balance of power in the contemporary scenario with respect to offshore balancing and the role and influence of the United States of America as a balancer in the Asia-Pacific region.
Introduction
The balance of power has helped statesmen to maneuver their national policy in such a way so as to secure the independence and national interests of their states and as such the theory of balance of power is considered to be of vital importance in international relations. International relation is, as viewed by the realist school of thought, characterized by ineluctable clashes amongst nation states seeking to maintain their sovereignty and augment their power and wealth. Most realists harbor the opinion that the states interest is to accrue as much as power as

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