Delegitimation in International Relations: Oiling the Mechanism of Balance of Power.

This paper will consider alternative modes of balancing in the international system. Given the enormous lead that the United States currently enjoys in military affairs, internal military balancing is not a realistic option for any single country desiring to offset the hegemon’s power. Nevertheless, many other strategies are available to would-be challengers. A subtler strategy can be employed: the delegitimation of the adversary’s behavior. The use of a delegitimizing discourse avoids direct confrontation, while it undermines one of the sources of the adversary’s power. It does so by attracting potential allies who share certain affinities, and by facilitating defections from the target state?s camp. We investigate the use of delegitimation strategies in two widely different settings: Rome and the Holy Roman Empire, and Soviet-Egyptian relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]