The Return of Great Power Rivalry, Matthew Kroenig
The Return of Great Power Rivalry, Matthew Kroenig
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The Return of Great Power Rivalry
Democracy versus Autocracy from the Ancient World to the U.S. and China

Author: Matthew Kroenig

Narrator: Joel Richards

Unabridged: 10 hr 10 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 11/24/2020


Synopsis

The United States of America has been the most powerful country in the world for over seventy years, but recently the US National Security Strategy declared that the return of great power competition with Russia and China is the greatest threat to US national security. Further, many analysts predict that America's autocratic rivals will have at least some success in disrupting—and, in the longer term, possibly even displacing—US global leadership.

Brilliant and engagingly written, The Return of Great Power Rivalry argues that this conventional wisdom is wrong. Drawing on an extraordinary range of historical evidence and the works of figures like Herodotus, Machiavelli, and Montesquieu and combining it with cutting-edge social science research, Matthew Kroenig advances the riveting argument that democracies tend to excel in great power rivalries. He contends that democracies actually have unique economic, diplomatic, and military advantages in long-run geopolitical competitions. He considers autocratic advantages as well, but shows that these are more than outweighed by their vulnerabilities. By advancing a "hard-power" argument for democracy, Kroenig demonstrates that despite its many problems, the US is better positioned to maintain a global leadership role than either Russia or China.


About Matthew Kroenig

Matthew Kroenig is associate professor in the department of government and the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and deputy director of the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security at the Atlantic Council. He is the author or editor of several books, including The Logic of American Nuclear Strategy and Exporting the Bomb: Technology Transfer and the Spread of Nuclear Weapons.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Sukrit

An ambitious but ultimately mediocre, intellectually weak read. The strongest part was the China and Russia analyses, which are clearly the author's expertise. These were well written, and a strong defense of modern neoliberalism. The weakest part was the history. The author is clearly not a historia......more

Goodreads review by Ben

Foreign Policy This was a very interesting book on international economics and foreign policy. One of the better political reads lately. It covers lots of topics and was a good basis for further readings. Would recommend! 4.6/5......more

Goodreads review by Chad

A fascinating and timely exploration of the age-old struggle between democratic and autocratic powers. A Council on Foreign Relations member, friend and professor at Georgetown, Kroenig takes readers on a journey through history, examining how great powers have clashed and competed throughout the ag......more

Goodreads review by Ali

This book is a comparative study between autocracy and democracy. It explores the facts that make democracy superior to autocracy from ancient times to now. The author of the book provides examples of various empires which were existed in the past and elaborates his arguments in the light of the pol......more

Goodreads review by Todd

With all this talk of Democracy v Autocracy, this is an excellent read to get caught up on the history and implications of this new rivalry. Democracies win great power rivalries bc they are much stronger than autocracies in the 3 domains of economy, diplomacy, and military. Democracy • Economics: fast......more