Balancing or hard balancing, in realist theories of international relations, refers to a state 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 the neologism bandwagoning. For meanings of the word balance, see: Look up balance in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Main International Relations Theories Politics Portal This box:      For other uses, see Realism (disambiguation). ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      International relations (IR), a branch of political science, is the study of foreign affairs and global issues among states within the international system, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations (IGOs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and multinational corporations (MNCs). ... Balance of power in international relations is a central concept in realist theory. ... This Bandwagon article does not cite any references or sources. ...

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 than the cost of action against the stronger state.

Balancing can be internal, in which case the weaker state engages in a military build up and other internal reallocations of resources to increase their power with respect to the stronger state. Balancing can also be external, in which case multiple weaker states form a coalition against the stronger state, tilting the balance of power in their favor.

Balancing is a military action, intended to increase the power or threat of power of one state relative to another. Scholars also note the existence of soft balancing, in which weaker states conclude that stronger states need to be checked but that a military response is infeasible. In this case, states engage in other methods to undermine the stronger states. Contrasted to soft balancing, traditional balancing is then called hard or military balancing. Soft balancing is a recent addition to balance of power theory used to describe non-military forms of balancing evident since the end of the Cold War, particularly during and after the 2003 Iraq War. ...

The efficiency of balancing behavior is an important determinant of the stability of the international system. If balancing happens quickly and efficiently it is extremely difficult for a regional hegemon to emerge, this is the view taken by Kenneth Waltz in Theory of International Politics. Mearsheimer believes that balancing is less efficient due to buckpassing and other strategies of free-riding. This generates an international system where rational states can make a bid for regional hegemony. Kenneth Neal Waltz (born 1924) is a member of the faculty at Columbia University and one of the most prominent scholars of international relations (IR) alive today. ... Image:Jjm04-2228x2782. ... In the analyses of economics and political science, free riders are actors who take more than their fair share of the benefits or do not shoulder their fair share of the costs of their use of a resource, involvement in a project, etc. ...

See also

• Balance of threat
• Balance of power in international relations
• Bandwagoning
• Soft balancing

I like to eat and balance at the same time. jake is a pig Zac tried to kill me. Balance of Threat theory was proposed by Stephen M. Walt in an article entitled “Alliance Formation and the Balance of Power” published in the journal International Security in 1985. ... Balance of power in international relations is a central concept in realist theory. ... This Bandwagon article does not cite any references or sources. ... Soft balancing is a recent addition to balance of power theory used to describe non-military forms of balancing evident since the end of the Cold War, particularly during and after the 2003 Iraq War. ...