ABSTRACT
A “great power” is traditionally defined and evaluated by its military power, which in turn is converted into political influence in world affairs (Baldwin 2002: 177). In pursuing the status of a dominant power, the country’s political leaders are eager to learn about the capabilities of their enemy and to compare them with their own before becoming embroiled in conflict (Merritt and Zinnes 1989: 11). To be powerful, most social scientists argue, is to win and prevail over others in conflict situations (Lukes 2005: 478). Hence, surveying military capabilities through the lens of military budgets, forces, and equipment would seem helpful for understanding the rise and fall of great powers. Scholarly agreement on such an approach has shaped most power analysis in the mainstream International Relations (IR) literature during the Cold War era (Art and Waltz 1971; Baldwin 1989;Waltz 1979).
