Safe passage: the transition from British to American hegemony

摘要

One of the perennial topics of discussion among International Relations theorists is the concept of hegemony, both historically and in the contemporary world. Recently, the topic has been the subject of even more widespread discussion due to Graham Allison's recent book Destined for war: can America and China escape Thucydides's trap? (New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017). Seeking similarly to explore transitions from one hegemon to another-though in a more empirically based and historical manner-Kori Schake's Safe passage looks at the transition from British to American hegemony. According to Schake, this transition was unique because it was peaceful, as almost all other such transitions have been marked by military conflict and war (pp. 1-3). The author believes conflict to be a likely result of any future hegemonic transition between the United States and China.