Table of Contents:
  • Greater freedom of action for the unipoleIncreased concerns about the power of the unipole; Greater obstacles to counter-hegemonic balancing; Credibility and leverage; Distraction or disengagement?; Alliance strategies in unipolarity; Hard balancing; Soft balancing; "Leash-slipping": alignments intended to enhance autonomy; Bandwagoning with the unipole; Regional balancing; Summary; Managing unipolar alliances; Conclusion; 5 System maker and privilege taker: US power and the international political economy; Opportunity, obligations, and privilege.