Understanding Superpower-Regional Power Relations in the Post Cold War Scenario: A Case Study of the United States and India, 2000-2016

Abstract

A superpower and the regional power is placed quite differently in the power hierarchy of international politics where by a superpower is motivated to retain its primacy and prevent the rise of new powers that may challenge its dominance and the regional power on the contrary is motivated to rise up the power hierarchy to achieve greater power status and influence. This inherent difference in their prime objective set them on a systematic conflictual course. The interdependent international order that emerged after the end of the cold war witnesses the United States as the superpower and India as an emerging regional power who despite their power asymmetry, difference in strategic objectives and preferred world order entail a global strategic partnership. This signifies that both the powers adopt certain engagement strategies to cooperate with each other while tidying over their differences. The study aims to understand super power regional power relations through the prism of engagement strategies to underline that application of suitable engagement strategies helps India and the U.S to cooperate and construct a commendable partnership despite the structural differences. What kind of engagement strategies are thereby adopted by a regional power and the superpower to cooperate with each other in an interdependent international system is the quest of the study. The work further highlights the growing agency of emerging regional powers which has led to widening of strategic understanding in the international order.