The Major Powers

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Why is it important?

If globalization has truly revolutionized the way states pursue security, then we should expect to see dramatic changes in the security policies of the states that have traditionally been the most important security actors: the major powers. If the national security establishments of these states have been largely immune to the influence of global economic and social forces, then we should question the extent of the “global transformations.” Conversely, if the major powers, which have typically had the most independence internationally and have essentially ruled the security environment, are now powerfully constrained by globalization, then we should have strong evidence in support of the state-in-demise hypothesis. This chapter tests the state-level propositions developed in Chapter 1 against the national security doctrines and practices between 1991-2008 of the three most powerful states in the contemporary international system: the United States, Russia, and China.