Document Type
Article
Disciplines
International Law
Abstract
In this paper I argue that hegemony is practiced in three different ways, and accordingly, a more nuanced explanation than what currently exists is warranted. The three forms of hegemony are not mutually exclusive, but they are distinctive enough to warrant different conceptualizations. Neoconservative thinking influences the first kind, which I call primitive hegemony. The second version, which I call enlightened hegemony, is based more on classical realist thought, balance of power theory, and liberal free trade. It is more historically informed and is less dramatic than the primitive version. I see the third version as a kind of paternalist hegemony, one in which assumptions of American cultural and civilizational supremacy form the basis of American foreign policy. I call this benevolent hegemony.
Recommended Citation
Persaud, Randolph B., "Shades of American Hegemony: The Primitive, the Enlightened. and the Benevolent" (2004). Connecticut Journal of International Law. 420.
https://digitalcommons.lib.uconn.edu/cjil/420
Accessibility Requirements
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