International Political Economy and Hegemonic Theory
Summary
International Political Economy (IPE) examines the interplay between political authority and economic structures at the global level. It explores how states, markets and international institutions shape the distribution of resources, power and influence across societies. Hegemonic Theory, drawing on Gramscian insights, focuses on how a leading power sustains its dominance through a combination of coercion, consent and institutional leadership. This perspective emphasises the role of ideology, culture and institutions in securing a particular world order, underpinned by a coalition of social forces—often termed a historical bloc. Contemporary debates address the resilience of established hierarchies amid rising powers, the politics of global finance, trade regimes, digital platforms and the ecological challenges that are reshaping the terms of economic governance. By highlighting both structural constraints and discursive practices, IPE and Hegemonic Theory offer tools to understand policy choices, state strategies and the prospects for reform in an increasingly fragmented international system.
Research from Nature Portfolio
No recent Nature Portfolio content available.
International Political Economy and Hegemonic Theory publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in international political economy and hegemonic theory across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Hegemony: The combination of coercive and consensual practices through which a dominant power legitimises and maintains its leadership within a social order.
Historical bloc: A relatively stable coalition of state and social forces that coalesce around a shared ideology and institutional framework to sustain a hegemonic project.
Neoliberalism: A political-economic paradigm prioritising market deregulation, privatisation, free trade and reduced state intervention in economic affairs.
Uneven and combined development: A theory describing how different societies experience asynchronous yet interconnected trajectories of capitalist modernisation, influencing global power relations.
References
- South Africa: Revisiting Capital's ‘Formative Action’. Review of African Political Economy (2008).
- The Rise of Neo-Illiberalism. Krisis | Journal for Contemporary Philosophy (2021).
- US Hegemony in Latin America: Think Tanks and the Formation of Consensus about the Chinese Presence. Revista Brasileira de Política Internacional (2024).
- Geoculture and unevenness: Occidentalism in the history of uneven and combined development. Cambridge Review of International Affairs (2020).
Turn complex research questions into confident strategic decisions
When you're under pressure to set direction, justify investment, or understand your competitive position, you need more than raw data — you need trusted insights you can act on.
Benchmark your performance against global peers using robust, methodologically sound analysis.
Combine quantitative metrics with qualitative expert insight to uncover strengths, gaps and emerging opportunities.
Gain tailored, decision-ready recommendations aligned to your strategic priorities.
Talk to us to learn more about our data dashboards and bespoke strategy reports.
Grow research skills, confidence and careers with training built for every stage of the research lifecycle.
Developed with Nature Portfolio journal Editors and internationally renowned experts. Discover three ways to learn:
Self-paced, online courses in convenient bite-sized units, covering key skills across scientific writing, publishing, grant writing, data analysis, and more.
Expert trainer-led workshops with hands-on exercises and real-time feedback across core research skills, delivered via interactive group sessions.
Editor-led workshops combining core principles in writing and publishing, personalised 1:1 feedback from Nature Portfolio Editors and hands-on exercises.
Explore course catalogues and workshop agendas, enquire about the options or request institutional pricing.