Overview

This volume presents three claims regarding the role of middle powers in the 21st Century: first, states aspiring to become or remain middle powers choose from three possible role: to be a global middle powers; to be a regional pivot; or to be a niche leader. Second, states seeking such roles need different mixes of hard and soft power sources. Third, more so than great or small powers, middle powers walk a thin line between the domestic and systemic pressures they face. In this volume, these claims are based on (comparative) case studies of Germany, Iran, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, South Korea, Sweden, and Turkey.

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9781793605665

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Pioneers in the revival of the concept of Middle Power, Giacomello and Verbeek offer a valuable and wide-ranging collection of country case studies. Theoretically eclectic and empirically rich, the individual chapters cover states in the Middle East, Europe, and East Asia, introducing concepts such as 'niche power' and 'regional pivot', and exploring issue areas from naval power and energy security to banking, environmental policy, humanitarian aid, and military intervention. Given the authors' claim that the number of Middle Powers has grown even in the last decade, this volume should be of interest to scholars of comparative foreign policy and international politics. -- Matthew Evangelista, Cornell University This important volume further refines the concept of middle powers, offering a series of pointed examples and adequately stressing the importance of domestic factors in international politics. -- Piero Ignazi, University of Bologna The end of the Cold War and the rise of China fundamentally altered the balance among the 'great powers.' These same events changed the dynamics for 'middle powers' as well, making it both easier for states to aspire to increase their status and harder for them to hold onto the world's attention. Giacomello and Verbeek have brought together a strong group of scholars to explores the many dimensions of this change in interstate dynamics, bringing different perspectives that from a host of middle powers, both old and new. Their collection is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the growing complexity of the world around us. -- Erik Jones, Johns Hopkins University

“Pioneers in the revival of the concept of Middle Power, Giacomello and Verbeek offer a valuable and wide-ranging collection of country case studies. Theoretically eclectic and empirically rich, the individual chapters cover states in the Middle East, Europe, and East Asia, introducing concepts such as ‘niche power’ and ‘regional pivot’, and exploring issue areas from naval power and energy security to banking, environmental policy, humanitarian aid, and military intervention. Given the authors’ claim that the number of Middle Powers has grown even in the last decade, this volume should be of interest to scholars of comparative foreign policy and international politics.” -- Matthew Evangelista, Cornell University “This important volume further refines the concept of middle powers, offering a series of pointed examples and adequately stressing the importance of domestic factors in international politics.” -- Piero Ignazi, University of Bologna “The end of the Cold War and the rise of China fundamentally altered the balance among the ‘great powers.’ These same events changed the dynamics for ‘middle powers’ as well, making it both easier for states to aspire to increase their status and harder for them to hold onto the world’s attention. Giacomello and Verbeek have brought together a strong group of scholars to explores the many dimensions of this change in interstate dynamics, bringing different perspectives that from a host of middle powers, both old and new. Their collection is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the growing complexity of the world around us.” -- Erik Jones, Johns Hopkins University

Author Information

Giampiero Giacomello is associate professor of international relations at the University of Bologna. Bertjan Verbeek is chair and professor of international relations at Radboud University.

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