Multilateral Strategies in a Unipolar World: Integrating Rising Powers.

How can the United States promote effective multilateral cooperation in a unipolar world? More specifically, how can the United States enlist the active cooperation of rising major powers such as China and Russia? The paper’s goal is to introduce an approach to promoting multilateral cooperative international order that does not rely on shared institutional affiliation, commitment to liberal democratic norms, or the logic of economic interdependence. Our approach emphasizes states’ quest for a positive international identity and, more specifically, the influence of status and prestige concerns on their foreign policies. We argue that, properly channeled and adequately recognized, rising states’ concerns for international prestige and status can motivate them to contribute to the dominant power’s global governance project and world order. Our argument is illustrated by parallel case studies of the extent to which Russia and China have cooperated in multilateral efforts. The results indicate that both countries are more likely to cooperate if treated with respect and accorded a distinctive role that recognizes their incipient great power status. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]