POSTPONED - Matthew Kroenig - The Return of Great Power Rivalry
Due to concerns pertaining to the coronavirus, the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library will be closed until further notice. We regret that this program has been postponed and are working to reschedule it later this year. We will honor all reserved seating for those of you who have purchased a copy of the book, and keep you posted once we have confirmed a new date for this event.
In his latest book, author Matthew Kroenig seeks to answer a central question in international politics: Why do great powers rise and fall? “The Return of Great Power Rivalry” offers a sweeping historical analysis of democratic and autocratic competitors from ancient Greece through the Cold War.
This event is free and open to the public. Reserve your seat by pre-ordering a copy of “The Return of Great Power Rivalry” from A Cappella.
If you are unable to attend the event, you may pre-order a signed copy of the book for in-store pickup or delivery below:
About the Book
The United States of America has been the most powerful country in the world for over 70 years, but recently the U.S. National Security Strategy declared that the return of great power competition with Russia and China is the greatest threat to U.S. 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-U.S. 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. Kroenig then shows these arguments through the seven most important cases of democratic-versus-autocratic rivalries throughout history, from the ancient world to the Cold War. Finally, he analyzes the new era of great power rivalry among the United States, Russia, and China through the lens of the democratic advantage argument. By advancing a "hard-power" argument for democracy, Kroenig demonstrates that despite its many problems, the U.S. is better positioned to maintain a global leadership role than either Russia or China.
A vitally important book for anyone concerned about the future of global geopolitics, “The Return of Great Power Rivalry” provides both an innovative way of thinking about power in international politics and an optimistic assessment of the future of American global leadership.
About the Author
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 seven books, including “The Logic of American Nuclear Strategy” and “Exporting the Bomb: Technology Transfer and the Spread of Nuclear Weapons.”
