The evolution of soft balancing in informal institutions: the case of BRICS

Abstract The concept of soft balancing emerged in 2005 to analyse how states engage in non-military balancing against the United States. By 2025, soft balancing has become extensively discussed in the context of BRICS, which has evolved from a loose grouping of diverse powers into an active, complex and rapidly growing entity. However, scholars remain divided on the nature and drivers of soft balancing within BRICS. How has BRICS developed into a robust soft balancing coalition? This article uses insights from compensatory layering—a process where transformative change occurs through sequential bargains over institutional design—to demonstrate how BRICS builds soft balancing collaborations, selectively institutionalizes some cooperative activities, and expands its scope to include both soft balancing and non-soft balancing elements. It clarifies balancing and non-balancing behaviours within BRICS, providing new insights into soft balancing in contemporary power dynamics. The study shows how states centre their cooperation around a specific informal institution, enabling effective soft balancing outcomes.