Toward Sino-American Ideological Clash? The Lasswellian World Revolution Approach

Abstract The power competition between the USA and China engrosses the profound fascination of scholars, beckoning them to delve into its intricacies, nuances, causes, and implications for world politics. Regardless of their perspectives on whether normative dimensions are seen as factors solely fueling strategic competition, operating autonomously, or existing within a mutually constitutive relationship with institutions and material capabilities, conventional wisdom such as realism, critical theory, and holistic approach affirms the centrality of material elements in power competition. This article adopts a constructivist lens to analyze complex patterns of international relations and power competition, acknowledging the inherent normative dimensions of power, as much more pervasive, as inherent and independent attributes of any complex, persistent pattern of international relations and, particularly, power competition. In particular, this article introduces an underexplored insight from Lasswell’s “world revolution” concept, termed the “Lasswellian world revolution.” According to this approach, no ideologies remain ascendant indefinitely, they change over time, and the ideology of a rising power often challenges that of an established power. The article contends that this framework provides a fresh lens to understand the intricate interactions between American liberal democracy and socialism with Chinese characteristics, shedding light on the dynamics of power transition and the evolving international landscape. In conclusion, the article posits that we are witnessing the “interregnum.” Unfolding in the interstice between the waning yet dominant American liberal democracy and the nascent yet fragile socialism with Chinese characteristics, this phase marks a period of rivalry and uncertainty between the USA and China.