From Wealth to Power

From Wealth to Power is a study in the social and historical dynamicscontributing to the rise and fall of essential actors in the internationalsystem. It attempts to join history with social science theory in order to shedlight on broad theoretical topics in world politics, such as the rise of newgreat powers. In so doing it seeks to add to the body of scholarship whichcombines the study of state structure with traditional international relationstheory. The particular focus is on the expansive rise of the United States,not only to world prominence, but also as a modem state. American foreignpolicy during the period 1865-1908 is examined in light of changes inthe state structure along the four major variables: scope, autonomy,coherence and capacity, touching upon that country's domestic and administrativedevelopment. The first of the six chapters of the book poses the main questionswhich Zakaria attempts to address: "What turns rich nations into 'greatpowers?' I' "Why, as states grow increasingly wealthy, do they build largearmies, entangle themselves in politics beyond their borders, and seekinternational influence?" "What factors speed or retard the translation ofmaterial resources into political interests?", and finally, "Under whatconditions do states expand their political interests abroad?'' Such questionsvisualize, on the one hand, a strong and direct correlation between greatpowers' economic rise and fall and their growth or decline. Anomalies, onthe other hand, are explained as a "Dutch disease," or the malady whichdoes not allow "a nation of unequalled individual prosperity and commercialprowess to remain in a state of great influence and power." The latter,zakaria claims, was an American affliction during the second half of thenineteenth century. This was particularly true during the relatively longperiod of non-expansion and isolation following the Civil War (1860-64).Despite a tremendous increase in wealth, productivity and power, it was notuntil the 1890s that the US began expanding again. Zakaria considers thisto be an aberration, reflecting a "highly unusual gap between power andinterests," that lasted for some thirty years. An explanation, according tohim, would not only require a full historical account, but more so, "first cuttheories" which clarify national behavior ...