International System

Unipolarity on the Brink

Abstract

The article claims that the international system is emerging out of an interlude of unipolarity – characterized by US dominance – , and entering an age of so-called “diffuse multipolarity”, i.e. a situation in which less clear-cut regional entities challenge the pre-eminence enjoyed by the US. Neorealism – with Kenneth N. Waltz’s theories about self-help and balancing – represents the main theoretical frame that supports my conjecture. This theory is enriched on the one hand by a broader view on systemic approach to the international system, and on the other hand by relevant information extracted out of international society theory (Conway W. Henderson) and out of declinism (Paul Kennedy). Together, they support data collected out of recent UN studies and publications such as The Economist.