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Home > Buck-passing, Chain-ganging and Alliances in the Multipolar Indo-Asia-Pacific

Buck-passing, Chain-ganging and Alliances in the Multipolar Indo-Asia-Pacific [1]

The International Spectator [2]

Buck-passing, Chain-ganging and Alliances in the Multipolar Indo-Asia-Pacific

Authors:
Mason Richey [3]
11/03/2020

Christensen’s and Snyder’s neorealist-based theory of buck-passing and chain-ganging uses offence-defence balance to predict state security policy choices under multipolarity. This approach is applicable to the US-led alliance system in the multipolar Indo-Asia-Pacific. Given regional Sino-US rivalry, hedging opportunities for US ‘hub-and-spoke’ allies will dissipate, increasing the likelihood of allies choosing to buck-pass or chain-gang in the face of conflict. With defence superior in the region, it is more likely that US allies will buck-pass rather than chain-gang. Beyond Indo-Asia-Pacific states, this has implications for global actors – such as the EU – seeking to raise their security profile in the region, as buck-passing behaviour gives greater time to adjust to potential conflict scenarios than chain-ganging.
Keywords: alliances, multipolarity, Indo-Asia-Pacific, balance of power, Sino-US rivalry

Details

  • Details

    The International Spectator, Vol. 55, No. 1, March 2020, p. 1-17
  • In:
    The International Spectator [2]
  • Issue

    55/1
  • ISBN/ISSN/DOI:
    10.1080/03932729.2019.1706390

External links

Buy this article online [4]

Source URL:https://www.iai.it/en/pubblicazioni/c10/buck-passing-chain-ganging-and-alliances-multipolar-indo-asia-pacific

Links
[1] https://www.iai.it/en/pubblicazioni/c10/buck-passing-chain-ganging-and-alliances-multipolar-indo-asia-pacific [2] https://www.iai.it/en/pubblicazioni/lista/all/international-spectator [3] https://www.iai.it/en/persone/mason-richey [4] https://doi.org/10.1080/03932729.2019.1706390