Heterarchy in World Politics challenges the fundamental framing of international relations and world politics. IR theory has always been dominated by the presumption that world politics is, at its core, a system of states. However, this has always been problematic, challengeable, time-bound, and increasingly anachronistic. In the 21st century, world politics is becoming increasingly multi-nodal and characterized by "heterarchy" – the coexistence and conflict between differently structured micro- and meso quasi-hierarchies that compete and overlap not only across borders but also across economic-financial sectors and social groupings. Thinking about international order in terms of heterarchy is a paradigm shift away from the mainstream "competing paradigms" of realism, liberalism, and constructivism. This book explores how, since the mid-20th century, the dialectic of globalization and fragmentation has caught states and the interstate system in the complex evolutionary process toward heterarchy. These heterarchical institutions and processes are characterized by increasing autonomy and special interest capture. The process of heterarchy empowers strategically situated agents — especially agents with substantial autonomous resources, and in particular economic resources — in multi-nodal competing institutions with overlapping jurisdictions. The result is the decreasing capacity of macro-states to control both domestic and transnational political/economic processes. In this book, the authors demonstrate that this is not a simple breakdown of states and the states system; it is in fact the early stages of a structural evolution of world politics. This book will interest students, scholars and researchers of international relations theory. It will also have significant appeal in the fields of world politics, security studies, war studies, peace studies, global governance studies, political science, political economy, political power studies, and the social sciences more generally.

This text is a major intervention into a central debate in international relations: how has globalization transformed world politics? In this scholarship, the state lies at the centre; it is what politics is all about.

This book showcases the best new international relations research on hierarchy and moves the discipline forward in this new direction.

Former CEO of Shell Chemicals UK and Celltech, Fairtlough explains the alternatives to hierarchy (which he calls heterarchy and responsible autonomy) and shows how they can work in practice.

The traditional concept of the nation-state as the key player in global affairs is being challenged by the forces of globalization, technological progress, and new forms of governance. These shifts are introducing complexities and uncertainties into international relations, which are leaving scholars, policymakers, and students struggling to keep up with the evolving landscape. The concepts of 'postinternationalism' and 'heterarchy' present promising but largely unexplored frameworks for understanding these dynamics, making a comprehensive resource to navigate this transformation an urgent necessity. Postinternationalism and the Rise of Heterarchy addresses the need to examine postinternationalism and heterarchy as alternative frameworks thoroughly. It compiles chapters that explore theoretical perspectives, empirical case studies, and practical implications across disciplines like political science, international relations, sociology, economics, and law. The book provides a nuanced understanding of the reconfiguration of power and governance in the modern world by investigating the impact of non-state actors, technology, global economic trends, and transnational social movements.

In early 2014, sparked by an assault by their government on peaceful students, Ukrainians rose up against a deeply corrupt, Moscow-backed regime. Initially demonstrating under the banner of EU integration, the Maidan protesters proclaimed their right to a dignified existence; they learned to organize, to act collectively, to become a civil society. Most prominently, they established a new Ukrainian identity: territorial, inclusive, and present-focused with powerful mobilizing symbols. Driven by an urban “bourgeoisie” that rejected the hierarchies of industrial society in favor of a post-modern heterarchy, a previously passive post-Soviet country experienced a profound social revolution that generated new senses: “Dignity” and “fairness” became rallying cries for millions. Europe as the symbolic target of political aspiration gradually faded, but the impact (including on Europe) of Ukraine’s revolution remained. When Russia invaded—illegally annexing Crimea and then feeding continuous military conflict in the Donbas—, Ukrainians responded with a massive volunteer effort and touching patriotism. In the process, they transformed their country, the region, and indeed the world. This book provides a chronicle of Ukraine’s Maidan and Russia’s ongoing war, and puts forth an analysis of the Revolution of Dignity from the perspective of a participant observer.

This perceptive Advanced Introduction provides a contemporary analysis of Russia’s political system, political institutions and its place on the global stage. Richard Sakwa deftly explores Russia’s emergence as an independent state, examining the structure of its existing political and economic system, its transformation following the constitutional reform of 2020, and the immediate and long-term consequences of the Russia-Ukraine war.