Hegemonic Stability Theory

CORE DEFINITION

Hegemonic stability theory (HST), also known as the theory of hegemonic stability, is an international relations theory rooted in research in political science, economics, and history. The theory suggests that the international system is more likely to remain stable when a single nation-state is the dominant world power or hegemon. Therefore, the decline of an existing hegemon or the absence of a hegemon can undermine the stability of the international system. When a hegemon exercises leadership through diplomacy, coercion, or persuasion, it is effectively deploying its 'preponderant power', which is what is meant by hegemony, referring to a state's ability to 'dominate the rules and arrangements of international political and economic relations by itself'. Furthermore, by discussing the symbiotic relationship between a declining hegemon and its rising successor, it can also be used to understand and calculate the future of international politics. The study of hegemony can be divided into the realist school and the systemic school, each of which can be subdivided into two mainstream theories. The concept of 'hegemonic stability theory' was first proposed by Robert Gilpin, who incorporated it into A.F.K. Organski's power transition theory.