Abstract
Theorists of hegemony combine a concern with the causes of war and peace with questions of dominant trade regimes. While this combination addresses issues of central importance for studies of international relations, it may somewhat confound the role of hegemony studies within a world systems perspective. The power of the world systems perspective lies in the consideration of entire worlds, not simply as the appropriate unit of analysis, but as integrated units of production and exchange. Hierarchy within this system reflects not simply politically enforced relations of unequal exchange, but the subordination of production in different parts of the world to regimes constructed and manipulated by core powers to their own economic and political advantage. The processes that create the power of the core and the processes by which the core subordinates the periphery constitute the critical questions within this perspective. Part, but only part, of the answer lies in the superior productive capacity and efficiency of the core, and resulting ability to dominate trade. Another part, and we believe this is primary, lies in the ways that, in order to become so productive and so efficient, economies rising to core status must organize other economies and international transport systems to assure the increasing, secure, cheap supplies of the raw materials that support productive efficiency and economic growth.
Highlights
Theorists of hegemony combine a concern with the causes of war and peace with questions of dominant trade regimes
We argue that the organizational forms, knowledge, and technologies that a rising economy must develop in order to satisfy its growing and changing raw materials requirements themselves constitute the capacities needed for world system dominance, both in terms of production and in terms of strategic relations aimed at achieving secured raw materials flows at minimal cost
The organizational forms, knowledge, and technologies that a rising economy must develop in order to satisfy its growing and changing raw materials requirements themselves constitute the capacities needed for world system dominance, both in terms of production and in terms of strategic relations aimed at achieving secured raw materials flows at minimal cost
Summary
Theorists of hegemony combine a concern with the causes of war and peace with questions of dominant trade regimes. But only part, of the answer lies in the superior productive capacity and efficiency of the core, and resulting ability to dominate trade Another part, and we believe this is primary, lies in the ways that, in order to become so productive and so efficient, economies rising to core status must organize other economies and international transport systems to assure the increasing, secure, cheap supplies of the raw materials that support productive efficiency and economic growth. Raw materials industries (most notably steel and copper and aluminum) and transport industries (most notably shipbuilding and shipping) were leading sectors of the Japanese economy throughout most of the post-World War II era These industries created the economic, physical and social infrastructure on which all other economic sectors in Japan depend. As this paper will demonstrate, Japanese firms and the Japanese state have structured these networks in ways which have guaranteed access to large supplies of low cost raw materials outside the control of transnational raw materials firms based in its hegemonic rival, the United States
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