Exit from Hegemony
The Unraveling of the American Global Order
Alexander Cooley and Daniel Nexon
Reviews and Awards
"We live in a world where the liberal order created by the United States is under increasing challenge. The great virtue of Cooley and Nexon's book is that it uses sophisticated theory to explore how different kinds of challenges — from other great powers, from smaller states looking to subvert the order, from social movements and sub-state actors — can interact and reinforce each other. This book will be of interest not only to international relations scholars but to anyone who wants to understand how the world is changing." -- Henry Farrell, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, George Washington University
"How will the US-led order end? This smart book outlines three different pathways: defections from the order by revisionist powers, exits from the order by smaller and weaker states, and counter order movements. Though trends in all three began far before 2016 and made the election of President Trump more likely, Trump's policies have also accelerated their unfolding. By showing how these different pathways could work, and influence one another, Cooley and Nexon offer a sobering analysis useful for both understanding the contemporary global political situation and working to change it." -- Deborah Avant, Sié Chéou-Kang Chair for International Security and Diplomacy, Josef Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver
"A whirlwind tour of the international system in the waning days of American dominance. Exploring how kleptocratic finance, transnational illiberalism, and Chinese expansion have reshaped modern politics, Exit from Hegemony offers a vivid portrait of a global order in decline. As America's unipolar moment draws to a close, Cooley and Nexon provide an essential and much-needed guide for the turbulent transition ahead." -- Seva Gunitsky, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Toronto