This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this article if you can. (May 2007)

The neutrality and factual accuracy of this article are disputed. Please see the relevant discussion on the talk page. (March 2008)

Look up hegemony in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Hegemony (pronounced /hɨˈdʒɛməni/ (Amer.), /hɨˈɡɛməni/ (Brit.))^[1] (Greek: ἡγεμονία hēgemonía) is a concept that has been used to describe the existence of dominance of one social group over another, such that the ruling group—referred to as a hegemon—acquires some degree of consent from the subordinate, as opposed to dominance purely by force.^[2] It is used broadly to mean any kind of dominance, and narrowly to refer to specifically cultural and non-military dominance, as opposed to the related notions of empire and suzerainty. Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Image File history File links Emblem-important. ... Wiktionary (a portmanteau of wiki and dictionary) is a multilingual, Web-based project to create a free content dictionary, available in over 151 languages. ... A dominance hierarchy or social hierarchy is an organizational form by which individuals within a community control the distribution of resources within the community. ... This article is about the political and historical term. ... Suzerainty (pronounced or ) is a situation in which a region or people is a tributary to a more powerful entity which allows the tributary some limited domestic autonomy to control its foreign affairs. ...

In International Relations, a hegemon may be defined as a state or power that can dictate the policies of all other powers in its vicinity, or that is able to defeat any other power or combination of powers that it might be at war with. Examples of (potentially) hegemonic states in history are the Roman Empire, the British Empire, the united Germany that has existed from 1871 to 1945 and from 1990 onwards, and clearly the United States 1848 through most of the twentieth century under derterminism, "laissez-faire", and "elbow room" politics. Especially, the USA, since 1950 whereas the USA debatably demonstrating hegemonic prowess by expanding its global empire starting with the war in Korea. >Henry Kissinger, Diplomacy, (New York 1994), p. 137-8: "[...] European coalitions were likely to arise to contain Germany's growing, potentially dominant, power.", p. 145: "Unified Germany was achieving the strength to dominate Europe all by itself--an occurence which Great Britain had always resisted in the past when it came about by conquest."</ref> Foreign affairs redirects here. ... For other uses, see Roman Empire (disambiguation). ... For a comprehensive list of the territories that formed the British Empire, see Evolution of the British Empire. ... The unification of Germany can refer to: the 1871 formation of the German Empire under Otto von Bismarck. ... 1871 (MDCCCLXXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... This article is about the year. ... Motto: (traditional) In God We Trust (official, 1956–present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City Official language(s) None at the federal level; English de facto Government Federal Republic  - President George W. Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence - Declared - Recognized...

The processes by which a dominant culture maintains its dominant position: for example, the use of institutions to formalize power; the employment of bureaucratic means to make power appear abstract (and, therefore, not attached to any one individual); the inculcation of the populace in the ideals of the hegomonic group through education, advertising, publication, etc.; the mobilization of a police force as well as military personnel to subdue opposition.

[edit] Definitions

Researchers use hegemony to explain how dominant groups or individuals can maintain their power -- the capacity of dominant classes to persuade subordinate ones to accept, adopt and internalize their values and norms. Antonio Gramsci devised one of the best-known accounts of hegemony. His theory defines hegemony as dominance maintained through a mixture of coercive measures and strategies which function to garner consent to rule from subordinate groups. In rough terms, Gramsci identifies coercive measures with the machinery of the state and places measures that garner consent in civil society. To complicate matters, though, Gramsci sometimes terms the aggregate of all organs of domination "the state", and it is clear that the contemporary bureaucratic welfare state is the locus of material concessions. Elaborating his theory of ideology, Gramsci also defines hegemony as the ability of the dominant group to provide "political and moral leadership" to subordinate groups. In other words, the dominant group is able to generalize and recast its particular interests as universal, offering a political vision that captivates subordinate groups. Gramsci also conceptualizes political struggle in the contemporary West as a struggle for hegemony; that is, revolution may be successfully waged only by establishing an alternative hegemonic order, the struggle beginning in civil society. Social class refers to the hierarchical distinctions between individuals or groups in societies or cultures. ... Antonio Gramsci (IPA: ) (January 22, 1891 – April 27, 1937) was an Italian writer, politician and political theorist. ... For other uses, see State (disambiguation). ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      Civil society is composed of the totality of voluntary civic and social organizations and institutions that form the basis of a functioning society as opposed to the force-backed structures of a state (regardless of that states political system) and commercial institutions. ...

Recently, Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe have re-defined the term "hegemony" as a discursive strategy of combining principles from different systems of thought into one coherent ideology. Ernesto Laclau is a political theorist often described as post-marxist. ... Chantal Mouffe (born 1943) is a Belgian political theorist. ...

[edit] Hegemonies in history

The word "hegemony" originated in ancient Greece and derives from the word hegeisthai (meaning "to lead"). An early example of hegemony during ancient Greek history occurred when Sparta became the hegemon of the Peloponnesian League in the 6th century BC. Later, in 337 BC, Philip II of Macedon became the personal Hegemon of the League of Corinth, a position he passed on to his son Alexander the Great. The History of Greece extends back to the arrival of the Greeks in Europe some time before 1500 BC, even though there has only been an independent state called Greece since 1821. ... For modern day Sparta, see Sparti (municipality). ... The Peloponnesian League was an alliance of states in the Peloponnese in the 6th and 5th centuries BC. By the end of the 6th century, Sparta had become the most powerful state in the Peloponnese, and was the political and military hegemon over Argos, the next most powerful state. ... (2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium) The 6th century BC started on January 1, 600 BC and ended on December 31, 501 BC. // Monument 1, an Olmec colossal head at La Venta The 5th and 6th centuries BC were a time of empires, but more importantly, a time... Centuries: 5th century BC - 4th century BC - 3rd century BC Decades: 380s BC - 370s BC - 360s BC - 350s BC - 340s BC - 330s BC - 320s BC - 310s BC - 300s BC - 290s BC - 280s BC Years: 342 BC - 341 BC - 340 BC - 339 BC - 338 BC - 337 BC - 336 BC - 335 BC... Philip II of Macedon: victory medal (niketerion) struck in Tarsus, 2nd c. ... The League of Corinth was a federation of Greek states created by Philip II of Macedon during the winter of 338 BC/337 BC to facilitate his use of Greek military forces in his war against Persia. ... For the film of the same name, see Alexander the Great (1956 film). ...

The concept of "Hegemony" was also present in ancient China, during the Spring and Autumn Period (ca. 770 BC - 480 BC), when the weakening of the Zhou Dynasty led to increased autonomy amongst the feudal lords of the period. The hegemons, known as "Ba" (Chinese: 霸), were often appointed by conferences of feudal lords, and they were nominally obliged to uphold the supremacy of the Zhou kings and keep order amongst subordinate states. The Spring and Autumn Period (Chinese: ; Pinyin: ) was a period in Chinese history, which roughly corresponds to the first half of the Eastern Zhou dynasty (from the second half of the 8th century BC to the first half of the 5th century). ... Alternative meaning: Zhou Dynasty (690 CE - 705 CE) The Zhou Dynasty (周朝; Wade-Giles: Chou Dynasty) (late 10th century BC to late 9th century BC - 256 BC) followed the Shang (Yin) Dynasty and preceded the Qin Dynasty in China. ...

The term hegemon is also used to describe Japan's three unifiers in the late sixteenth century and early seventeenth century. Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu each had different titles (and held many different posts during their lifetimes), but each had in common that they exercised hegemony over all or much of Japan. For ease of reference they are collectively referred to as the three hegemons or the three unifiers. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Hideyoshi redirects here. ... Tokugawa Ieyasu January 31, 1543 – June 1, 1616)was the founder and first shogunof the Tokugawa shogunateof Japanwhich ruled from the Battle of Sekigaharain 1600until the Meiji Restorationin 1868. ...

To the extent that hegemony appears as a cultural phenomenon, cultural institutions maintain it. The Medici maintained their hegemony in Tuscany through control of Florence's major guild, the Arte della Lana. Modern hegemonies also maintain themselves through cultural institutions, often with allegedly "voluntary" membership. For the board game, see Medici (board game). ... This article is about the city in Italy. ...

The dominance of the Dutch Republic during the 17th Century (1609-1672) can be considered the first emergence of a global hegemon, with a focus on mercantilism. This was due to its development of wind power and shipping which enabled it to develop as a hegemon because of production efficiency. It then gained a commercial advantage through the generation of the 'Four Great Fleets' and later gained financial dominance, with the emergence of the stock market in Amsterdam.

In more recent times, analysts have used the term hegemony in a more abstract sense to describe the "proletarian dictatorships" of the 20th century, resulting in regional domination by local powers, or domination of the world by a global power. China's position of dominance in East Asia for most of its history offers an example of the regional hegemony. The proletariat (from Latin proles, offspring) is a term used to identify a lower social class; a member of such a class is proletarian. ... Forms of government Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A dictatorship is an autocratic form of government in which the government is ruled by a dictator. ... In the context of international relations and diplomacy, power (sometimes clarified as international power, national power, or state power) is the ability of one state to influence or control other states. ... This article is about the geographical region. ...

The Cold War (1945 - 1990), with its main avenues of coercion — the Warsaw Pact led by the USSR and NATO led by the United States — often appears as a battle for hegemony. The details of the parties' respective ideologies have no relevance to whether they are hegemons: both sides featured superpowers (supported by their clients) battling to dominate the arms race and become the supreme world superpower. The details of the ideologies do come into play to the extent that they determine the persuasiveness or efficiency of each hegemon. For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ... Not to be confused with the Warsaw Convention, which is an agreement about airlines financial liability and the Treaty of Warsaw (1970) between West Germany and the Peoples Republic of Poland. ... This article is about the military alliance. ... Superpowers redirects here. ... According to the notion of client states, just as a client of a corporation remains dependent on the corporation for a continued supply of products, and just as it is in the companys interest to make expendable products which need to be replaced regularly, client states of the two... The term arms race in its original usage describes a competition between two or more parties for military supremacy. ...

After the end of the Cold War, some analysts used the term "hegemony" to describe the United States' role as the sole superpower (or hyperpower) in the modern world. However, many scholars of international relations (such as John Mearsheimer or Joseph Nye) argue that the United States does not have true hegemony, since it lacks the resources to impose dominance over the entire globe. While the United States has dominance on political-military issues, it is equal to Europe on the economic scale, and has very little influence on transnational relations by non-state actors.^[3] Also, China, India, and the Europe are considered by some to be emerging superpowers capable of or already competing with the United States. A hyperpower is a state that is militarily, economically, and technologically dominant on the world stage. ... Image:JJM07. ... Joseph Nye (born 1937) is the founder, along with Robert Keohane, of the international relations theory neoliberalism (international relations) developed in their 1977 book Power and Interdependence. ... In the technical terminology of political science the PRC was a communist state for much of the 20th century, and is still considered a communist state by many, though not all, political scientists. ... The Republic of India is the second most populous country in the world, with a population of more than one billion, and is the seventh largest country by geographical area. ... EU redirects here. ...

[edit] Hegemony in fiction

In the fictionary universe Matrix, created by the Wachowski brothers, robots have taken over the entire world. Humans are a subordinate race, in which 99% of humans unconsciously accept their rule, and 1% rebel against the robots and live in Zion. When the rebels grow too strong, "The One" is added to the matrix to reboot the Matrix. The Matrix is the virtual reality simulation that is the main setting of The Matrix series of science fiction films, comic books and video games. ... Laurence Larry Wachowski (born June 21, 1965) and Andrew Andy Wachowski (born December 29, 1967) are American film directors and writers most famous for creating The Matrix series. ...

The novel Valis by the science fiction writer Philip K. Dick treats the concept of hegemony as one aspect of what he calls the Black Iron Prison, a totalised system of social control. VALIS is a 1981 science fiction novel by Philip K. Dick. ... Philip Kindred Dick (December 16, 1928 – March 2, 1982) was an American writer, mostly known for his works of science fiction. ... The Black Iron Prison is an all-pervasive system of social control otherwise referred to as Empire. ...

In Bulgakov's novel, The Master and Margarita, the imprisoned Christ is told to address the Roman procurator, Pontius Pilate, as "Hegemon". After a false start, and threats of further corporal punishment, Christ complies with the order. Mikhail Afanasievich Bulgakov (Russian: Михаил Афанасьевич Булгаков; May 15 [O.S. May 3] 1891, Kiev – March 10, 1940, Moscow) was a Russian novelist and playwright of the first half of the 20th century. ... The Master and Margarita (Russian: ) is a novel by Mikhail Bulgakov, woven about the premise of a visit by the Devil to the fervently atheistic Soviet Union. ... This page is about the title, office or what is known in Christian theology as the Divine Person. ... Pilate redirects here. ... Corporal punishment is the deliberate infliction of pain and suffering intended to change a persons behavior or to punish them. ...

Ursula K. LeGuin uses the concept of Hegemony to create a rich universe to set her stories and novels. The worlds are bound together by the hegemon which uses diplomacy, education, and patience to win new member worlds. Ursula K. Le Guin at an informal bookstore Q&A session, July 2004 Ursula Kroeber Le Guin (born October 21, 1929), is an American author. ...

Orson Scott Card used the title 'Hegemon' to describe the office of world leader taken by the fictional character Peter Wiggin, the brother of Andrew (Ender) Wiggin. The story of Peter's rise to dominance is (partly) told in the science fiction novel Ender's Game, and more fully in the 'Shadow' series. Peter uses his great intelligence and political savvy to manipulate public opinion by publishing under the pseudonym of "Locke". Peter persuaded his sister, Valentine Wiggin, to publish opposing viewpoints that were widely supported by the common people under the guise of "Demosthenes". The educated and political communities, fearing the power Demosthenes held with the common people, consequently supported Locke, a more moderate writer in their opinion. Ironically, once Peter attains the office, he finds that it has little actual power, contrary to what the title would lead one to believe. The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. ... In the science fiction story Enders Game and its sequels, Peter Wiggin is Enders (or Andrews) older brother. ... Andrew Ender Wiggin is a fictional character from Orson Scott Cards science fiction story Enders Game and its sequels (Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, Children of the Mind), as well as in the first part of the spin-off series, Enders Shadow. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... Enders Game (1985) is one of the best-known novels by Orson Scott Card. ... Valentine Wiggin is a fictional character in Orson Scott Cards Enders Game series of novels. ...

Dan Simmons' Hyperion Cantos also features an interstellar society called 'The Hegemony of Man'. The Hegemony includes all of the several hundred planets colonized by the human race, as well as space stations and outlying colonies. The Hegemony funds and maintains an interplanetary military/police entity called FORCE, and two hundred or so Hegemony planets are linked together by the farcaster network to comprise the WorldWeb. The TechnoCore and the Ousters are not included in the Hegemony. Dan Simmons (born April 4, 1948 in Peoria, Illinois) is an American author most widely known for his Hugo Award-winning science fiction novel Hyperion and its sequel The Fall of Hyperion. ... Hyperion The Hyperion Cantos form a tetralogy of science fiction novels by Dan Simmons. ... In the Hyperion universe, a farcaster is an instantaneous transportation device. ... The TechnoCore is the race of post-singularity Artificial Intelligences in Dan Simmons Hyperion universe. ... In Dan Simmons Hyperion universe, the branch of humanity that left the Worldweb and the Hegemony, and chose instead to travel among the stars, adapting away from planetary life and the influence of the TechnoCore. ...

Robert A. Heinlein referred several times to the "Chinese Hegemony" in his novel, "Starship Troopers". Robert Anson Heinlein (July 7, 1907 – May 8, 1988) was one of the most popular, influential, and controversial authors of hard science fiction. ... For other uses, see Starship Troopers (disambiguation). ...

In the Joan D. Vinge novel The Snow Queen, the government of civilized planets is called the Hegemony, or the Hedge; they are the remnants of a defunct greater empire. Joan D. Vinge (born 1948 in Baltimore, Maryland) is an American science fiction author. ... The Snow Queen is a science-fiction novel written by Joan D. Vinge in 1981. ...

In Battletech, there is an interstellar government called the Terran Hegemony, lasting from the early 24th century to the late 28th century. The government is more akin to a constitutional monarchy than anything else. BattleTech is a wargaming and science fiction franchise, launched by FASA Corporation and currently owned by WizKids. ...

In Star Control 3, the player struggled against the Hegemonic Crux, a hegemony of races dominated by the Ploxis, an intelligent, bird-like race of aliens. The Star Control series is a trilogy of computer games with a cult following. ... The Ploxis are a bird-like race in Star Control fictional universe. ...

In Star Trek (especially Deep Space Nine), the Breen race is represented by a government called the "Breen Hegemony". In one Next Generation episode, the "European Hegemony" is described as a loose alliance of states in the early 22nd century, and is assumed to no longer exist. Also the Gorn race encountered by Kirk in the original Star Trek series are referred to as having a Hegemony. This article is about the entire Star Trek franchise. ... In the Star Trek fictional universe, Deep Space Nine (or DS9) is a space station. ... Breen soldier appearing on Star Trek: Deep Space 9 The Breen are a species in the science fiction franchise Star Trek. ... The title as it appeared in most episodes opening credits. ...

In Iain M. Banks's Culture novels, a "Hegemonising Swarm" is a hive-like organism that seeks to make everything in the galaxy a part of it. It is described as one potential Outside Context Problem for the Culture. The Culture is a fictional anarchic, socialistic and utopian society created by the Scottish writer Iain Banks and described by him in several of his novels and shorter fictions. ... An Outside Context Problem or an OCP is any problem outside a given groups (organisation, society, culture or civilisation) experience, with an immediate, ubiquitous and lasting impact upon it. ...

The Covenant in Halo (series) is a religious hegemony. It has been suggested that Covenant Vehicles in Halo be merged into this article or section. ...

The Hegemony in Lilith Saintcrow's Dante Valentine series is one of two global superpowers. The Hegemony borders dominate North and South America, Western Europe, Japan, Australia, some of Central Asia, and parts of China. It's counterpart is the Putchkin Alliance, centered around what was known as Russia. Many of the citizens of either superpower feel as though there is one world government with the Hegemony and Putchkin Alliance as two major political divisions.

In Star Wars the Tion Hegemony is a small power set up by the Galactic Empire out of an older state and was left mostly to its own devices until a strong Rebel movement took hold in the Hegemony. This article is about the series. ...

[edit] Geography of hegemonies

Hegemony does not leave geography untouched. Henri Lefebvre's theory of space, as articulated in "The Production of Space", insists that space is not a passive locus of social relations and that space is trialectical. That is space is comprised of mental space, social space and physical space. This said, hegemony can be read as a spatial process. (See Edward Soja, David Harvey, Chantal Mouffe) Henri Lefebvre (16 June 1901 â€“ 29 June 1991) was a French sociologist, intellectual and philosopher who was generally considered a Neo-Marxist[1]. // Lefebvre was born in Hagetmau, Landes, France. ...

Geopolitics influences hegemonies. Ancient hegemonies developed in fertile river valleys (an example of hydraulic despotism): Egypt, China and the succession of states in Mesopotamia. In China during the Warring States Era the state of Qin created artificial waterways (such as the Chengkuo Canal) in order to give itself an advantage over its neighboring rival states. Hegemonic successor states in Eurasia tended to cluster around the Middle East for a period, using either the sea (Greece) or the fringe lands (Persia, Arabia). The focus of European hegemony moved west to Rome, then northwards to the Franks and the Holy Roman Empire. The Atlantic seaboard had its heyday (Spain, France, Britain) before the fringes of the European cultural area took over in the twentieth century (United States, Soviet Union). Geopolitics is the study that analyzes geography, history and social science with reference to spatial politics and patterns at various scales (ranging from home, city, region, state to international and cosmopolitics). ... Hydraulic despotism is a term for despotic rule supported by control of a single, necessary resource. ... Mesopotamia was a cradle of civilization geographically located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq. ... Alternative meaning: Warring States Period (Japan) The Warring States Period (traditional Chinese: 戰國時代, simplified Chinese: 战国时代 pinyin Zhànguó Shídài) takes place from sometime in the 5th century BC to the unification of China by Qin in 221 BC. It is nominally considered to be the second part of the... Qin or Chin (Wade-Giles) (秦), pronounced something like Shin, (778 BC-207 BC) was a state during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods of China. ... A large canal in China completed in 246 BC by the ancient kingdom of Qin. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Succession of states. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... Anthem SorÅ«d-e MellÄ«-e Īrān Â² Capital (and largest city) Tehran Official languages Persian Demonym Iranian Government Islamic Republic  -  Supreme Leader  -  President Unification  -  Unified by Cyrus the Great 559 BCE   -  Parthian (Arsacid) dynastic empire (first reunification) 248 BCE-224 CE   -  Sassanid dynastic empire 224–651 CE   -  Safavid dynasty... The Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula is a mainly desert peninsula in Southwest Asia at the junction of Africa and Asia and an important part of the greater Middle East. ... For other uses, see Rome (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Frankish people and society. ... This article is about the medieval empire. ...

Some regions show continually fluctuating areas of regional hegemony: India, for example, or the Balkans. Other regions show relative stability: northern China offers a case in point.

Long-lived hegemonies (China, Pax Sinica; Rome, Pax Romana) offer a contrast to shorter dominations: the Mongol Empire or Japan's Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Roman Empire at its greatest extent with the conquests of Trajan Pax Romana, Latin for the Roman peace (sometimes Pax Augusta), was the long period of relative peace and minimal expansion by military force experienced by the Roman Empire between 27 BC and 180 AD. Augustus Caesar led Rome into... Expansion of the Mongol Empire Historical map of the Mongol Empire (1300~1405), the gray area is Timurid dynasty. ... Poster of Manchukuo promoting harmony between Japanese, Han Chinese and Manchu. ...

[edit] Resistance and survival

Conrad Phillip Kottak, in Window on Humanity (2004), explains hegemony in terms of ideologies that offer explanations about why the existing order is in everyone's interest. Many things are promised, but are said to take time and patience in order for them to happen.

[edit] References

[edit] See also

[edit] Hegemony

• Cultural hegemony
• Monetary hegemony
• Regional hegemony
• Dominant ideology
• Posthegemony
• Hegemonic masculinity

• Hegemony or Survival, a book by Noam Chomsky
• The Prince, a book by Niccolò Machiavelli
• Spartan hegemony (404 B.C.E. - 371 B.C.E.)
• Theban hegemony (371 B.C.E. - 362 B.C.E.)

Cultural hegemony is a concept coined by Marxist philosopher Antonio Gramsci. ... Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... Regional hegemony refers to the power or influence which a nation exercises over more than one neighboring country. ... The dominant ideology in Marxist or marxian theory is the set of common values and beliefs shared by most people in a given society, framing how the majority think about a range of topics, from art and science to politics. ... Posthegemony is the theory that the theory of Hegemony can no longer properly describe social order. ... Hegemonic masculinity is the normative ideal of masculinity that men are supposed to aim for and women are supposed to want. ... Hegemony or Survival: Americas Quest for Global Dominance, published November 2003 is a book by Noam Chomsky, a macroscopic view of United States foreign policy from World War II to the post-Iraq War reconstruction. ... Avram Noam Chomsky (born December 7, 1928) is an American linguist, philosopher, political activist, author, and lecturer. ... This article is about the book by Niccolò Machiavelli. ... Machiavelli redirects here. ... Period in classical Greek history. ... The Theban Hegemony lasted from the Theban victory over the Spartans at Leuctra in 371 BC to their defeat of a coalition of Peloponnesian armies at Mantinea in 362 BC though Thebes sought to maintain its position until finally eclipsed by the rising power of Macedon in 346BC. Externally, the...

[edit] Power

• Major powers
• Power (international)

• Middle power
• Great power
• Superpower
• Hyperpower

A major power is a country or political entity that cannot be regarded as a superpower, but nevertheless plays an important role in the world. ... In the context of international relations and diplomacy, power (sometimes clarified as international power, national power, or state power) is the ability of one state to influence or control other states. ... Middle power is a term used in the field of international relations to describe states that are not superpowers or great powers, but still have large and mild influence and recognized internationally. ... One of the hallmarks of contemporary great power status is permanent membership on the United Nations Security Council. ... Superpowers redirects here. ... A hyperpower is a state that is militarily, economically, and technologically dominant on the world stage. ...

[edit] Other related concepts

• The White Man's Burden
• Liberal elite
• Groupthink

The White Mans Burden is a Eurocentric view of the world used to encourage powerful nations to adopt an imperial role. ... Liberal elite and liberal elitist are terms used by some ideological opponents of liberalism to refer pejoratively to affluent liberals, who, their opponents claim, are elitist and disconnected from the rest of society (note also the US term limousine liberal, the Irish term smoked salmon liberal, or latte liberal as... Groupthink is a type of thought exhibited by group members who try to minimize conflict and reach consensus without critically testing, analyzing, and evaluating ideas. ...

[edit] External links

• Hegemonism/ Hegemony at the Open Directory Project
• Stuart Hainsworth, "Gramsci's hegemony theory and the ideological role of the mass media"
• Mike Dorsher, Ph.D., "Hegemony Online: The Quiet Convergence of Power, Culture and Computers"
• Hegemony and the hidden persuaders - the power of un-common sense
• Parag Khanna, "Waving Goodbye to Hegemony"