The hierarchy life cycle in world politics: Bridging liberal and critical approaches to international hierarchies

Abstract Having established the existence and significance of international hierarchies as a feature of international society, second-generation debates have disagreed on their material or social origins, their likely durability, and whether they are exploitative or mutually beneficial. Rather than competing, these accounts are snapshots of different stages in a unified but dynamic process of change – the ‘hierarchy life cycle’. Liberal models of international hierarchy have been built around examinations of stable superordinates at the height of their power, whereas critical models have instead focused on aspiring or declining superordinates. Bringing these approaches together allows us to understand hierarchy creation as deriving from combinations of two basic strategies: attaining a preponderance of fungible goods, and the provision of nonfungible goods to subordinates. We demonstrate these dynamics through the application of our life cycle model to two cases – Saudi Arabia’s aspiring regional superordination strategies over the Arabian Peninsula, and contemporary changes in the US’ superordination over Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. In doing so, we speak to ongoing academic and policy debates around hegemonic transition and US foreign policy, and recent interest in the distinct regional hierarchies of superordinate secondary states.