The contemporary international order, when conceptualised through the lens of political economy and structural theories of international relations, can be aptly described as an oligopolistic global system. This characterization draws from the economic notion of oligopoly—a market structure where a few dominant actors hold disproportionate influence over outcomes—and transposes it onto the domain of global … Continue reading How can the contemporary international order be characterised as an oligopolistic global system, and what are the structural, economic, and political implications of concentrated power among a limited number of dominant states or actors for global governance, economic interdependence, and the normative foundations of international relations?