ABSTRACT
Any explanation using holistic contexts necessarily has two major inherent problems. Firstly, contexts such as a hegemonic order are not given, deterministic structures but something constructed in 'meta-negotiation processes' conditioned by other structural and material constraints. Secondly, contextual explanations rely on an interpretation of the elements of the holistic context, in this case 'the logic of hegemonic order'. To summarize the contextual influence of the hegemonic order on the distribution of benefits in US-Indonesian negotiations, one must start by giving an overview of the 'dependent variable', Indonesia's negotiation success. Subordinates' relative military weakness is probably linked most directly to their dependence on some sort of agreement with the hegemon. The basic logic of hegemonic order influences international bargaining most directly by influencing the hegemon's dependence on voluntary agreements and cooperation with subordinates.
