Synopses & Reviews
Douglas Lemke inquires as to whether the factors that lead to war among great powers also apply to other countries, considering different regional circumstances and historical experiences. The book examines Africa, the Far East, the Middle East and South America, and argues that the causes of war are similar across these regions, but that there are differences based on varying patterns of development. This book will interest students and scholars of international relations, peace studies, comparative politics and area studies.
Review
"This detailed structural theory work extends the international hierarchy of power concept on which power transition theory is based to include regional and local constellations of power.... Recommended." Choice"...Lemke has demonstrated substantial empirical support for his important theoretical extension of power and transition theory. In doing so, he provides a superb model for rigorous and systematic quantitative empirical research in the face of some very difficult methodological problems." Political Science Quarterly
Review
"This detailed structural theory work extends the international hierarchy of power concept on which power transition theory is based to include regional and local constellations of power.... Recommended." Choice"...Lemke has demonstrated substantial empirical support for his important theoretical extension of power and transition theory. In doing so, he provides a superb model for rigorous and systematic quantitative empirical research in the face of some very difficult methodological problems." Political Science Quarterly
Synopsis
Douglas Lemke"s book asks whether the causes of war among great powers also apply to other countries, given different regional circumstances and historical experiences. The book examines Africa, the Far East, the Middle East and South America, and argues that the causes of wars are similar across these regions.
About the Author
Douglas Lemke is Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Michigan. He is the author of several articles on international conflict in leading journals, and is co-author of Power Transitions (2001), and co-editor of Parity and War (1996).
Table of Contents
1. Introduction; 2. Theoretical origins; 3. Theoretical revision: the multiple hierarchy model; 4. Identifying local hierarchies and measuring key variables; 5. Empirical investigations; 6. Further investigations I: Great power interference?; 7. Further investigations II: an African (interstate) peace?; 8. Conclusions, implications and directions for continued research.