Chapter Sixteen: The Causes of War: Structural Accounts

Exercises

Essential and Inessential States over Time

Thinking back to the historical overview presented in Chapter 1, can you add to the list of once-essential states that are now inessential? Beyond those listed in Chapter 16, can you list any states that no longer exist? Can you identify once-inessential states that are now essential or that still exist but remain inessential? See if you can list states in each of these categories over the past three or four centuries.

British and U.S. Hegemonic Norms

• Great Britain is often thought of as having been the hegemonic power of the nineteenth century. What rules or norms of international conduct did Britain try to enforce around the world?
  
  
  
• The United States is the post<en>cold war hegemonic power or, in power transition terms, the state at the top of the power pyramid. What are some of the rules or norms of international conduct that the United States tries to enforce around the world today?
  
  
  
• World War II is frequently interpreted as a failed attempt by Germany to replace Britain as the hegemon. Think about a counterfactual world in which Germany had won World War II, ruling northern Europe and Russia while Italy ruled southern Europe and North Africa. Give several examples of international norms that might have emerged in a fascist-dominated postwar world. (Hint: Think about the key norms of the United States' postwar liberal capitalist hegemony. What would be different?)