The disappearance and formation of states and nations after the
end of the Cold War have proved puzzling to both theorists and
policymakers. Lars-Erik Cederman argues that this lack of
conceptual preparation stems from two tendencies in conventional
theorizing. First, the dominant focus on cohesive nation-states as
the only actors of world politics obscures crucial differences
between the state and the nation. Second, traditional theory
usually treats these units as fixed. Cederman offers a fresh way of
analyzing world politics: complex adaptive systems modeling. He
provides a new series of models--not ones that rely on
rational-choice, but rather computerized thought-experiments--that
separate the state from the nation and incorporate these as
emergent rather than preconceived actors. This theory of the
emergent actor shifts attention away from the exclusively
behavioral focus of conventional international relations theory
toward a truly dynamic perspective that treats the actors of world
politics as dependent rather than independent variables.
Cederman illustrates that while structural realist predictions
about unit-level invariance hold up under certain circumstances,
they are heavily dependent on fierce power competition, which can
result in unipolarity instead of the balance of power. He provides
a thorough examination of the processes of nationalist mobilization
and coordination in multi-ethnic states. Cederman states that such
states' efforts to instill loyalty in their ethnically diverse
populations may backfire, and that, moreover, if the revolutionary
movement is culturally split, its identity becomes more inclusive
as the power gap in the imperial center's favor increases.
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