Vad räknas som mjuk balansering? Om Venezuelas ambitioner att minska amerikanskt inflytande

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This thesis deals with the concept of soft balancing, traditionally defined as the diplomatic means of restraining a dominant state?s ability to exercise its military power. As the dominant power in today?s unipolar system, the United States, and other states? behaviour towards it, is the focus of analysis. The aim of this thesis is to explore the possibilities of developing the concept of soft balancing so as to include strategies to restrain also the political and economic capabilities of a dominant power. The thesis also considers the possibilities of soft balancing that small states ? to a large extent overlooked in existing theories on the subject - can possess. As a state with policies that aim to reduce the U.S. influence in Latin America, Venezuela under socialist president Hugo Chávez is a highly interesting state to study in the light of this new perspective on soft balancing. The analysis of its foreign policies shows that a developed definition of soft balancing, that includes efforts to restrain the U.S. possibilities of ?laying down the law? politically and...