ABSTRACT
Zakaria's book is an interesting journalistic entry to what might be called, for the lack of a better word, rise-and-fallology. 1 Why do hegemons/system leaders ascend and decline? What difference does it make? What should be done? Zakaria's answers to these questions are timely and reasoned. They are not based, at least solely, on political affiliation or ideological disposition. They are instead predicated on the application of an analytical model to the observation of current events. That certainly does not mean that the conclusions that are drawn are beyond dispute. On the contrary, it means only that Zakaria is drawing on international relations theory for policy evaluation purposes. To best evaluate his own argument, we need first to isolate his core model and historical script, and then to assess the perceived degree of fit between his interpretations and reality.
