Overview

The global distribution of power is changing. But how should we make sense of this moment of transition? With the rise of new powers and the decline of seemingly unchallenged US dominance in world politics, a conventional wisdom is gaining ground that a new multipolar order is taking shape. Yet multipolarity an order with multiple centres of power is variously used as a description of the current distribution of power, of the likely shape of a future global order, or even as a prescription for how power 'should' be distributed in the international system. From rising powers to established powers, contemporary debates are analysed by a set of leading scholars to provide in-depth insight into the use and abuse of a widely employed but rarely explored concept.

Full Product Details

Author:   Benjamin Zala
Publisher:   Manchester University Press
Imprint:   Manchester University Press
Dimensions:   Width: 15.60cm , Height: 1.20cm , Length: 23.40cm
Weight:   0.324kg
ISBN:  

9781526195647

ISBN 10:   152619564
Pages:   232
Publication Date:   20 January 2026
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Not yet available, will be POD  
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Table of Contents

Introduction 1 The utility and limits of polarity analysis – Benjamin Zala Part I: Rising and re-emerging powers 2 ‘Mirror, mirror on the wall’: China and the concept of multipolarity in the post-Cold War era – Nicholas Khoo and Zhang Qingmin 3 India: Seeking multipolarity, favouring multilateralism, pursuing multialignment – Ian Hall 4 Brazil: Pursuing a multipolar mirage? – Luis L. Schenoni 5 Multipolarity in Russia: A philosophical and practical understanding – Elena Chebankova Part II: The unipole and its allies 6 Does the United States face a multipolar future? Washington’s response through the lens of technology – James S. Johnson 7 Japan and the dangers of multipolarisation – H.D.P. Envall 8 The uses and abuses of the polarity discourse in UK foreign and defence politics – David Blagden Conclusion 9 Debating the distribution of power and status in the early twenty-first century – Benjamin Zala Index -- .

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Author Information

Benjamin Zala is Research Fellow in the Department of International Relations, Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, Australian National University

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