Explanation: The definition of hegemony in geopolitics and international relations encompasses political, economic, and military predominance, not solely military dominance.

Explanation: In international relations theory, hegemony and empire are distinct. While empire implies control over both internal and external affairs of subordinate states, hegemony primarily involves the dominance over external affairs.

Explanation: The term 'hegemony' derives from the Greek word 'hēgemṓn,' which signifies 'leader,' and its related term 'hēgemonía,' meaning 'authority, rule, political supremacy.'

Explanation: In geopolitics and international relations, hegemony is defined as the political, economic, and military predominance of one state over others, allowing it to shape the international system.

Explanation: In international relations theory, hegemony is primarily distinguished from empire by its scope of control: hegemony focuses on dominance over external affairs, whereas empire implies control over both external and internal affairs of subordinate states.

Explanation: During the period of Ancient Greece, the term 'hegemony' specifically referred to the politico-military dominance exerted by one city-state over others.

Explanation: The state of Qin progressively expanded its influence and achieved a hegemonic position in ancient China, culminating in the unification of the country by 221 BC, moving from a hegemonic position to outright conquest.

Explanation: Rome initially established hegemony by treating client states as allies bound by treaties, allowing internal autonomy while restricting foreign policy, rather than directly ruling them as provinces.

Explanation: Venice and Genoa held hegemony in the Mediterranean during the Middle Ages, specifically from the 11th to the late 15th century, dominating trade and naval power.

Explanation: The 'Five Hegemons' (Ba) in ancient China held an intermediate position as leaders of coalitions of states, acting as 'lord protectors' under the nominal authority of the Zhou King, rather than holding supreme imperial authority.

Explanation: The 'Pax Romana' is considered an era of imperial peace, and scholars note it was 'imperial' rather than purely 'hegemonic,' as hegemony can encompass both direct rule and indirect influence.

Explanation: In Ancient Greece, the term 'hegemony' denoted the political-military dominance of one city-state, known as the hegemon, over other city-states.

Explanation: Initially, Rome managed its client states by establishing treaties that granted them internal autonomy while restricting their foreign policy, rather than imposing direct rule or governors.

Explanation: Venice and Genoa were the Italian maritime republics that dominated Mediterranean trade and naval power during the Middle Ages.

Explanation: In ancient Chinese history during the Spring and Autumn period, the term 'Ba' (Hegemon) signified an intermediary role, acting as a 'lord protector' of a coalition of states, subordinate to the nominal authority of the Zhou King.

Explanation: The 'Five Hegemons' (Ba) in ancient China held an intermediary position, acting as 'lord protectors' of coalitions of states, subordinate to the Zhou King.

Explanation: In the 19th century, the concept of hegemony evolved beyond solely military control to encompass social or cultural predominance and the political-military dominance of one country over others.

Explanation: During the period spanning the 16th to the 19th centuries, Portugal, Spain, France, and Britain were significant contenders for hegemony, each exerting influence through various means such as colonization, trade, and military power.

Explanation: Otto von Bismarck's foreign policy aimed for Germany to be the strongest power in Europe without actively seeking hegemony, prioritizing stability and security over overt dominance.

Explanation: The Dutch Republic achieved commercial hegemony in the 16th-17th centuries through mercantilist policies, trade dominance, and financial innovation, not primarily through military conquest.

Explanation: The term 'hegemonism' emerged in the 19th century to denote the geopolitical strategies of Great Powers aiming for indirect imperial rule, which subsequently defined imperialism as direct foreign rule.

Explanation: Following Napoleon's defeat, the British Empire achieved global hegemony, becoming the largest empire in history and exerting significant influence worldwide.

Explanation: Otto von Bismarck's stance was that Germany should be the strongest power in Europe without actively seeking hegemony, prioritizing stability and security over overt dominance.

Explanation: The Netherlands is cited as a historical contender for hegemony between the 16th and 19th centuries, alongside powers like Portugal, Spain, France, and Britain.

Explanation: Antonio Gramsci's theory of cultural hegemony posits that ruling class power is maintained not only through force but crucially through the consent of the governed, achieved by establishing dominant social norms and ideologies.

Explanation: Hegemonic stability theory posits that a stable international order is contingent upon the presence and leadership of a dominant power, or hegemon, which establishes and upholds the system's rules and norms.

Explanation: Benevolent hegemons are characterized by providing public goods to states within their sphere of influence, rather than primarily extracting resources.

Explanation: Nuno Monteiro differentiates hegemony from unipolarity by defining hegemony as a hierarchical system wherein the most powerful state can dictate the external actions of all other states.

Explanation: Perry Anderson's book 'The H-Word' critically examines the historical trajectory and potential reversal or downfall ('peripeteia') of hegemony, rather than exploring its inevitable triumph.

Explanation: Edward Luttwak proposed that Rome's transition from a hegemonic strategy to direct imperial rule was not key to its success, but rather proved fatal and contributed to its eventual decline.

Explanation: Reinhard Hildebrandt's 'dual-hegemony' concept is used to describe the bipolar power dynamic of the Cold War, not the post-Cold War unipolar order.

Explanation: According to the English school of international relations, hegemony is considered a common form of political order, existing on a spectrum between multiple independent states and universal empire.

Explanation: Antonio Gramsci developed the concept of 'cultural hegemony,' which analyzes how ruling classes maintain power through consent and the establishment of their worldview as common sense.

Explanation: The central idea of Hegemonic Stability Theory is that a hegemonic power is essential for establishing and maintaining a stable international political and economic order.

Explanation: The source lists benevolent, coercive, and exploitative hegemonies as forms of hegemonic power, but 'Economic Hegemon' is not explicitly identified as a distinct category within the provided text.

Explanation: Nuno Monteiro distinguishes unipolarity from hegemony by defining hegemony as a hierarchical system where the most powerful state possesses the capacity to control the external behavior of all other states.

Explanation: Perry Anderson's book 'The H-Word' explores the historical trajectory and potential reversal or downfall ('peripeteia') of hegemony.

Explanation: Edward Luttwak proposed that the Roman Empire's transformation from a hegemonic strategy to direct imperial rule proved fatal to its long-term stability.

Explanation: Reinhard Hildebrandt's concept of 'dual-hegemony' is used to describe the bipolar power dynamic characteristic of the Cold War era.

Explanation: According to Nuno Monteiro, unipolarity is characterized by a preponderance of power within an anarchic international system.

Explanation: The Cold War was characterized by a bipolar power dynamic, primarily between the United States and the Soviet Union, rather than a unipolar system dominated solely by the United States.

Explanation: The concept of 'empire by invitation' posits that American hegemony following World War II was partly constructed through the voluntary participation and alliances of other nations within its established security and economic structures.

Explanation: The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, not the British Empire, marked the end of the Cold War and led to the emergence of the United States as the sole hegemonic power.

Explanation: John Mearsheimer and Joseph Nye have argued that the United States may not possess unlimited resources to impose formal global hegemony and unilaterally achieve all its objectives, suggesting limitations in its financial and military capacity.

Explanation: According to the 2024 data provided, Ukraine, not Russia, had the highest military spending as a percentage of GDP.

Explanation: Based on Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) data for 2024, the United States recorded the highest military expenditure.

Explanation: Alexander Dugin interpreted the Russo-Georgian War as an act of anti-hegemonic resistance against American influence, rather than hegemonic consolidation by the US.

Explanation: Vladimir Putin viewed the post-Cold War era not as a return to Western hegemony, but rather framed the breakdown of Western hegemony as having passed the point of no return and has characterized events like the war in Ukraine as 'anti-hegemonic.'

Explanation: In 2023, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed that US hegemony, since the end of the Cold War, has abused its power and imperils the world, rather than benefiting it by promoting stability.

Explanation: Joseph Nye's work, particularly his discussion of the 'paradox of American power,' suggests that American power in the 21st century is complex and faces challenges, rather than being straightforward and uncontested.

Explanation: The Cold War is described as being characterized by a bipolar power dynamic, primarily between the United States and the Soviet Union.

Explanation: The term 'empire by invitation' refers to the establishment of American hegemony post-World War II, which was partly facilitated by alliances and the voluntary inclusion of other nations into its security and economic frameworks.

Explanation: The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 is identified as the event marking the end of the Cold War and the emergence of the United States as the sole hegemonic power.

Explanation: Mearsheimer and Nye raise the criticism that the US may lack the comprehensive financial and military resources required to impose formal global hegemony and unilaterally achieve all its objectives.

Explanation: According to the 2024 data provided, Ukraine exhibited the highest military spending as a percentage of its GDP.

Explanation: In 2024, the United States recorded the highest military expenditure in billions of dollars when measured using Purchasing Power Parity (PPP).

Explanation: Alexander Dugin interpreted the 2008 Russo-Georgian War as an act of anti-hegemonic resistance against American influence.

Explanation: The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed in 2023 that US hegemony has persisted since the Cold War and that its abuse poses a threat to global stability.

Explanation: Within media studies, drawing from theorists like Stuart Hall, hegemony is understood as the process by which the media can significantly influence the establishment and maintenance of cultural dominance.

Explanation: Cultural imperialism is defined as the imposition of a dominant state's (the hegemon's) way of life, values, and institutions onto subordinate states, often serving as a mechanism for establishing indirect political power.

Explanation: Language plays a crucial role in establishing cultural hegemony, particularly when the hegemon imposes its language as a lingua franca, influencing the flow of information and societal norms in subordinate states.

Explanation: In media and communications studies, the media is viewed as a critical institution capable of either promoting or hindering the establishment of cultural dominance, thus playing a significant role in hegemonic processes.

Explanation: Cultural imperialism, in media and communications studies, is a mechanism for establishing imperial dominance through the imposition of the hegemon's way of life, including its language and institutions, onto subordinate states.

Explanation: Language plays a significant role in establishing cultural hegemony, particularly through the imposition of a lingua franca by the hegemon, which influences the subordinate states' societies and information dissemination.