soft balancing

In realist theories of international relations, balancing is a term for joining a weaker coalition to counter the influence or power of a stronger coalition. The term is derived from balance of power. Balancing is opposed to bandwagoning, which unlike balancing is a relatively new term. Balancing occurs when weaker states decide that the dominance and influence of a stronger state is unacceptable and that the costs of allowing the stronger state to continue their policies unchecked is greater tha ...

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